After slipping indignantly out of League One little over three weeks ago, Swindon Town were at their lowest ebb.

Relegated without a win at home in 2011, it was a sad demise for a side that little over 12 months ago was just one game away from the Championship.

When Jeremy Wray took over as interim chairman after Andrew Fitton stepped down, the businessman was faced with the unenviable task of leading the search for a manager capable of galvanising the club and creating a side capable of promotion at the first attempt next season.

A long and careful interview and selection process finally came to an end yesterday with the appointment of Paolo Di Canio – Wray’s number one target from the moment the Italian made his interest known.

Given the nature of his profile, it is of little surprise that his imminent arrival at Swindon has caused something of a stir in both the media and among all fans of football, and will continue to do so in the coming days.

One thing that football supporters value above all else is passion and commitment, and Di Canio certainly had both of those in abundance as a player.

The 42-year-old was one of the most gifted footballers ever to grace the Premier League and is idolised by the fans of the clubs he has played for.

Yes, he was a fiery character and has had more than his fair share of controversial moments on the pitch – most famously the push on referee Paul Alcock in 1999 - but should something that happened over a decade ago still be following him around? If so, should it be for the same for legends of the game such as Zinedine Zidane and Eric Cantona?

As is the case with most of us, Di Canio has matured as he has got older and has already been backed to go far in management by one of the most respected names in English football, his former Hammers boss Harry Redknapp.

He may not succeed, that is the risk every club takes when appointing a rookie manager, but he is ambitious and knows all too well that failure to achieve something with Swindon will push his long-term goal of managing his beloved West Ham further away.

But for now these are exciting times for the Robins, and if he can instil even a small amount of the passion and commitment he had as a player into the Swindon squad this coming season then, for me, he will have been a success.