PAUL Crichton is aiming to take a fatherly approach to his new role as Swindon Town’s goalkeeping coach.

The 47-year-old former Grimsby Town stopper, who enjoyed a professional career spanning 25 years, which included a loan spell at the County Ground in 1987, has been brought in to replace Steve Hale, who departed to join ex-Town boss Mark Cooper at Forest Green Rovers.

Before linking up with Town this summer, Crichton last worked in a coaching capacity at Queens Park Rangers, leaving his role at Loftus Road in January shortly after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s appointment as manager, but is looking forward to guiding the development of Lawrence Vigouroux and Will Henry.

“They’re some good lads. Everything I’ve asked them to do and suggested; they’ve taken it on board and they’ve tried it,” Crichton told BBC Wiltshire.

“I don’t tell people what to do. I think, to get the best out of them, you treat them like your kids. You suggest, you offer feedback – I’m big on that – and hopefully, we’ve (made) a good start to it.

“Luke (Williams) and Ross (Embleton) have explained their philosophy for the football club and I understand how they want to play, so hopefully I can help the goalkeepers interact and be part of the team.

“With all respect to Jimmy, he decided to bring his own staff in. Good luck to him. That’s football.

“(I) shook his hand and left them. I was disappointed but being out of football; it just whets your appetite.

“You have a little bit of time away to reflect and then you want to get back in as soon as possible and when Luke offered me the opportunity here, I came down, saw what it was all about and I’ve taken the chance.”

It may be almost three decades since Crichton enjoyed a four-match period on loan at Swindon from Nottingham Forest but that doesn’t mean that the Yorkshireman doesn’t remember some of the former colleagues that played a part in his first spell at the County Ground.

He added: “(I remember) Dave Hockaday, who was the manager of Leeds – we spoke about a position there at one stage.

“Jimmy Quinn was my manager at Cambridge and I remember Kingy (Andy King) and all of them, really. I enjoyed it. I was only a young kid at the time and experience was invaluable.

“(I’ve had) a bit of an up and down career, really, and I’ve managed to get over 500 league games but I’ve had to travel.

“I’ve learned a lot of things and it’s given me good experience to become a coach, working for so many managers, goalkeeping coaches, mentors; hopefully I can put it into my own plan.”