SWINDON Town defender Dom Thompson insists he has learned a lot from his loan spell at the County Ground, discussing topics such as game management, communication and decision making.

The Brentford loanee has played 23 times since joining Town at the start of January, providing four assists – three of which came on debut as Swindon beat upcoming opponents Ipswich 3-2 live on Sky Sports.

By his own admissions, the 20-year-old has endured an up-and-down few months in Wiltshire but believes he has learned a considerable amount under former manager John Sheridan and caretaker boss Tommy Wright.

Thompson said: “I think I have learned a lot about how to manage games in certain situations.

“Sometimes you have to do the nasty side of the game a lot more, especially if you’re in the position that we were in and have been since I’ve been here.

“Sometimes, from an individual standpoint, I’ve maybe tried to over play or do things that don’t fit in the context of the game.

“So I’ve got to build on my game management, and even communication as well. I need to try and be a leader out there.

“If the pitch goes a bit quiet, I can be changing things and stop any more bad happening. That comes from being a leader, and it doesn’t matter how old you are.”

Thompson also discussed how important confidence is to any player, no matter the standard they play at.

The Brentford loanee has tasted defeat 14 times during his 23 games at Swindon – a statistic that will not have helped boost the aforementioned subject.

Thompson revealed the difference a lack of confidence has made to his game, suggesting he is almost a different player when brimming with the emotion.

He said: “Confidence is everything for a player.

“If everyone in the team has got confidence and belief in themselves, typically their decision making comes a lot easier.

“Speaking for myself, when I’m fully confident, I play without thinking. When you see the top players at whatever stage they’re playing at, they have full confidence in themselves and that’s how they get the best out of themselves.”