DEFENDER Aden Flint felt he had to leave Swindon for League One rivals Bristol City to give himself the best chance of playing Championship football and progressing as a player.

The centre-half signed a four-year contract after passing a medical at Ashton Gate yesterday, completing a deal the Advertiser understands to be worth £350,000 with a £300,000 initial payment supplemented with £50,000 payable depending on appearances and promotion.

Flint’s move west is also thought to include a 20 per cent sell-on clause, and a similar agreement in the defender’s move to Swindon from Alfreton in 2011 caused a sticking point when City initially bid for the player as Town wanted them to settle the non-league side’s share of the deal.

It is not yet clear whether Town or the Bristol side have paid Alfreton’s share, but the Advertiser understands the amount totals between £25,000 and £30,000 due to the fact the sell-on only applies to the profit made on the £150,000 Town originally paid for the player.

After completing his move the 23-year-old admitted he will always be grateful to Town for giving him his chance in the Football League, but insisted the time was right for him to move on.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but I feel it is a massive opportunity for me to move forward in my career and improve as a player,” he told the Advertiser.

“I want to say thanks to Swindon for giving me the chance to start in the professional game, and I will always be grateful, but the opportunity to sign for Bristol was too good to turn down.

“They have a massive chance of getting promoted back to the Championship next year, and it will be good to get another year in League One under my belt this year with Bristol, and then hopefully get up to the Championship for next season.

“After we lost in the play-offs I was fully committed to Swindon, but when an opportunity like this came it was too good to turn down and I felt it was right for me and right for my career.”

Flint believes he improved considerably as a footballer during his two-and-ahalf years in Wiltshire, and was quick to thank his former managers for the help they have given him.

“When I arrived I was not used to professional football and didn’t know what to expect, and Swindon brought me on a lot from the time I first turned up, and I will always be grateful to have been given the chance and for the managers believing in me,” he said.

“I want to say thanks to Paolo Di Canio, Kevin MacDonald and Danny Wilson, who brought me in and signed me, but I still have a lot to improve on and get my head around.

“The new manager (Sean O’Driscoll) seems nice and I have been told he is a good coach, and I look forward to working with him.”

The defender will take a wealth of memories away from the County Ground, but is already looking forward to returning as a Bristol City player even though he knows he is likely to be on the receiving end of abuse from his former fans.

“There are a few memories which I will always have like winning the League Two title, and the play-off game against Brentford which we lost, but the goal I scored to take it to extra-time is a good memory,” he said.

“It was very disappointing, and we were all gutted, and it was hard for all the lads.

“I am looking forward to it (coming back) and I know I will get a bet of stick, but I am big enough and grown up enough to take it and block it out and play my game, and I am looking forward to coming back to the County Ground.”