SWINDON Town chairman Lee Power says he couldn’t stand in the way of goalkeeping coach Paul Crichton after the 47-year-old left the club to move to America.

Crichton only joined the club’s coaching staff over the summer but has since been offered a position at an academy in the United States, leaving after the defeat to Chesterfield.

Power confirmed that the offer of a move across the Atlantic was in the offing before the former Grimsby Town stopper, who enjoyed a 25-year career, which included a loan spell at the County Ground in 1987, replaced Steve Hale at Town and admitted that the move was something that Crichton could not turn down.

“We’ve been speaking to someone (last week),” Power told BBC Wiltshire.

“It was unfortunate for (Crichton). He had the job in Miami before he came here and wasn’t going to come and it went quiet so we took him.

“The job came back on and we can’t stand in people’s way. He had the opportunity to change his life and go to America.”

Meanwhile, Power is delighted with the start goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux has made at the club after joining as a permanent addition in the summer.

The 22-year-old is already two-fifths of the way to equalling his clean sheet tally of last season, having had shutouts in two of his opening four league games and Power believes that he will only get better.

“Lawrence has been fantastic,” he added. “When I paid the money I paid for him, which has been well documented, everyone raised an eyebrow asking why we were spending that amount of money on him.

“I think very quickly people can see why we did and if he continues in that form then he is going to be a top, top goalie.”