Swindon Town can confirm that Ben Futcher has been appointed as David Flitcroft’s Assistant.
The pair worked together at Bury and combined to help lead The Shakers to promotion from the Sky Bet League Two in 2014/15.
Futcher, who represented the likes of Oldham Athletic, Doncaster Rovers, Peterborough United and Bury during a playing career which saw him rack up over 350 appearances, is currently in the process of completing his Pro License, a qualification that Flitcroft also holds.
Futcher will then commence his new role at The County Ground as plans for the 2017/18 campaign continue to gather pace.
Flitcroft announced the appoinment at his first official Press Conference earlier today and, speaking to swindontownfc.co.uk exclusively, he revealed why it was important that he was joined at The County Ground by his trusted lieutenant, describing it as a "fundamental appointment."
“It is key and your Assistant is always key,” he said.
“I’ve been very lucky in my time where I’ve supported Keith Hill and given him everything that I had and I wanted to be the best Assistant that I could be for him.
“I had Micky Mellon come in as my Assistant when I was at Barnsley and he was fantastic for me.
“It is a really key appointment when you get your Assistant right.
“Myself and Ben were massively successful at Bury and he knows how I work, he’ll align the current staff down here for me and his responsibility is the out of possession work, the defensive work and the structure of the team.
“It is a massive appointment.
“He’s from a footballing family, he’s from a football background and he’s someone who lives and breathes football.
“He’s got a stature to him so it was really important that I worked hard to bring Ben down here.
“He’s on the Pro License at the moment and he graduates today so I’m excited for Ben and when he gets that Pro License, he’ll have the qualifications to back up the already fantastic quality that he has got.”
And Flitcroft went on to outline the qualities that Futcher will bring to the Assistant Manager’s role at Town.
“He’ll bring a professionalism, a standard, his dad was a fantastic coach and a fantastic footballer and he’s got a lot of his dad’s qualities," he added.
“Ben thrives off structure and organisation and he’ll bring honesty and a standard to training.
“He knows exactly what my standard is and if I get pulled out to do press or I have some other problem, then Ben is my right hand man and he knows exactly how I work and how I operate.
“It is a fundamental appointment.”
