PLAYERS lacking in drive and motivation levels will be the first to exit Swindon Town this summer, as Richie Wellens’ no-nonsense managerial approach was once again underlined ahead of Yeovil Town’s visit to the Energy Check County Ground tomorrow (3pm).

The Town boss wants to avoid negativity at all costs, largely due to his belief that happy footballers play well together as a team.

Therefore, players’ commitment, approach to training and aspirations to earn promotion to League One are likely to fall under assessment by Wellens when he makes a call on who to keep and who to dispose of during the summer months.

He said: “The only thing I can do is show them what we can offer.

“There is something good happening here, and if you’re a player that wants to leave at this moment in time then you have to ask if we really want them at this club.

“It’s not just the results coming, but also the way we’re playing.

“If a player is motivated to stay here and play at this football club, then brilliant.

“If not, do we and the supporters really want players like that playing for us? You’d have to say no.

“If footballers are happy, they usually play well.”

The January transfer window saw Wellens add two permanent young faces to his squad in Taylor Curran and Cameron McGilp.

Other youngsters in contract past this summer include Scott Twine and Sol Pryce.

And Wellens has encouraged his quartet to dedicate their younger years to the club and continue to develop at the rate they have this season.

He added that doing so will ensure they can make their optimal years as a professional footballer both rewarding and successful.

He said: “If you’re 34 or 35, your contract is about length and money.

“If you’re at the other end of the scale, you want to know if you’re going to be playing every week and continuing to develop.

“By the time you’re 24 to 32, your years of best potential, then you want to be the best player you can.

“I would tell our young players to stay here and play, and develop at the rate they are at the moment.”

Meanwhile, the Town boss has continued to focus part of his team training sessions on developing his side’s counter attacking play.

“We upped our counter-attacking play for the Morecambe game, and we showed signs of good penetration and movement,” said Wellens.

“We took that into Bury and mixed it, because we had to – we were not going to have possession all the time.

“When we were in possession, we were good because we were creating chances.”