Swindon Town head coach Luke Williams runs out of superlatives for "exceptional" Tom Smith

Anton Rodgers' sublime free-kick won Swindon Town three points against Bradford on Saturday but youngster Tom Smith gained all the post-match plaudits.

Smith, 18, who is a graduate of the Swindon Town youth academy, came on as a second-half substitute for the injured Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill and played in an unfamiliar left-back role for his entire 46 (six being injury time) minutes on the pitch.

James Brophy, who has recently been suffering from breathing problems that the club were worried could end his career, was subbed at half-time purely for tactical reasons, and then five minutes later Ormonde-Ottewill picked up the aforementioned injury which left Town with no recognised left-back.

At full-time, head coach Luke Williams described Smith as "exceptional".

"He has maybe given a problem to everybody because I think his performance was exceptional," Williams began.

"He came in and played on the wrong side to where he is natural and didn't put a foot wrong - he even knew where to make the runs at the right time and be a threat at the other end of the pitch so I think it was outstanding from someone who was not in their natural position and had limited amount of experience on the pitch.

"It's a credit to him. Everyone who knows him knows he is an exceptional professional and that's proof today."

Williams revealed that the usage of Smith there was not his first idea, that title went to Michael Doughty, but the head coach joked that the QPR loanee gave him a swift rebuttal.

"I asked Michael Doughty and he said 'absolutely no chance gaffer' so that was a decision taken.

"When you know a player is not comfortable - and Michael Doughty is a very confident boy - for him to say 'it's not for me, I don't feel comfortable' and the angles and when and where to press and when not to and so on there's no point.

"Tommy Smith didn't flinch. 'Yes. Straight on. Please'. So. Easy decision."

Later on in the press conference, Total Sport asked Williams if there were any worries whatsoever in having Smith at left-back, to which he answered in a humorous, but defiant, fashion:

"I was worried until two minutes after Tom went on, then I realised that he is so game, and so prepared I didn't worry anymore - worried more for Brophy and Brandon getting back in the team!

"I would say I'm not overly surprised (by Smith's impact), I work with the boy and I know how disciplined he is and how much he wants to be a player, but I was pleasantly surprised."