PAUL Bodin has said his youth team players will be given the chance to earn a place with the first team this season, but only after the busy start to the new term quietens down.

Bodin, whose youngsters have enjoyed a tiring but productive pre-season, told the Advertiser he has spoken to Paolo Di Canio and Fabrizio Piccareta about the situation regarding Town’s home-grown talent, and he remains confident those deserving of an opportunity in the Italians’ squad will get it.

However, a hectic couple of weeks is ahead for both the League Two side and the youth team, and Bodin understands his kids might have to wait a little for their time to impress.

“They’ve had a look twice at two of the home games so people have already planted a few seeds in their minds,” he said.

“We’ll do that throughout. Once the season gets underway and the two games a week are out the way then we’ll start planning some reserve games and integration of the youth ito some training sessions.

“There’s no doubt we’ll link it all together but the focus is for them to look after their squad of players, me to look after mine and then, as the season progresses, we can start working a bit closer in terms of integrating the players.”

The former Wales international sees the County Ground youth development programme as a vehicle for ensuring the next generation of footballers in Swindon represent their home town club.

And while there are some hesitant targets in mind ahead of the youngsters’ new league campaign, Bodin insisted individual advancement is the pressing concern.

“The most important thing is for personal development of individuals. That never changes,” he said.

“We are always trying to produce players for the first team squad, but when you’re working with your players you’re working as a solid year.

“Hopefully we’ll be contenders for the title again and we’d like a good FA Cup run.

“We’ve got a good squad of young players and I think we’ve got one of the best squads we’ve had in the last three or four years.

“We’ll just have to prove it.”

Bodin’s boys have had mixed results in pre-season.

New College were convincingly dispatched in their first outing, before tricky trips to Reading and Southampton ended in 5-0 and 4-0 defeats that sandwiched a 2-2 draw with Newport.

Yesterday Team Bath were beaten 5-2 to complete a gruelling schedule since the squad returned for training in early July, and Bodin has been delighted by the overall performance of the team in that time.

“We started on the first Monday in July and the boys came in straight from exams the previous week and heart screening the week before and into a full-on pre-season, and it is tough.

“It’s a massive step up. The second years have had experience of it before and have an idea of what’s involved, whereas, with the first years, one or two found it a little bit tough.

“We found the step up a lot different at Reading and it was a really good opener for our boys.

“There was a lot of chasing round, which is what you want from pre-season.

“It was a tricky game at Newport but we played well and it was a good test before we went down to Southampton.

“They had players who they’ve signed for big money and there were fantastic facilities.

“For our boys to have the chance to go down there and play against that quality of players was fantastic.

“We had a great challenge and we learnt a lot.

“We’ve got to keep challenging the players - that’s the way they learn and that’s the way they develop.”

Swindon Town’s youth team get their new league season underway with a trip to Bournemouth on Saturday.