Swindon Town manager Richie Wellens has revealed he is keen to keep Bristol Rovers winger Kyle Bennett at the League Two club next season.
Bennett, 28, joined the Robins on loan for the rest of the season on transfer deadline day in January having struggled to break into Gas manager Graham Coughlan’s plans after he took over from Darrell Clarke as manager on December 13.
Bennett made just one injury enforced substitution appearance in the league at Sunderlander under Coughlan, in his first game in charge, and started in a 3-0 victory over Port Vale in the EFL Trophy.
However Bennett’s move to the County Ground has been a successful one, scoring four goals in 11 games so far for 10th-placed Swindon. And he looks to have done enough to impress his manager.
Speaking to The Swindon Advertiser, Wellens said: “We’ll revisit him in the summer and see if we can keep him because I think everyone will agree that he has been a great addition to the squad.
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“I’ve known Kyle for a long time, I know what a good footballer he is.
“He wanted to get that spark going, because sometimes players don’t quite fit into a certain team system.
“Kyle wants to get on the ball and make things happen. I wanted to get his love of football back, and I think I’ve done that.”
Bennett is out of contract this summer having arrived at the Mem from Portsmouth in January 2018.
Wellens added: “Recruitment is going to be the most important thing over the summer.
“We have got the basis of a really good team so now can we recruit the right characters and the right players to come in and complement the players we have got and have a real good go next season.
“In parts, both home and away, we have shown we are a really strong team and I believe we can be even better next season."
“Can we get the right players in, people that fit into our system and also be good in the dressing room.
“Over the last couple of years, I don’t think the club has had that and if you haven’t got good characters in the dressing room, you aren’t going to breed success.
“Good players get you promotion and success but good characters keep you there.”
