New Swindon Town assistant head coach Jimmy Shan said that he has been brought in to help challenge Gavin Gunning.

Shan arrived at Swindon last week to join Gunning’s coaching staff having previously been with Darren Moore at West Bromwich Albion, Sheffield Wednesday, and Huddersfield Town and also having been head coach at Solihull Moors.

The 45-year-old said that he was brought to the club to help add a different perspective and opinion to Gunning, although the two are aligned on how they want to play.

He said: “I think it is quite easy [to build a relationship] because you both have a shared passion.

“I met Gavin for a cup of coffee to discuss what he wanted from me before I came in and committed to it and we just spoke about football and the way Gavin wants to set up the side here fit in with some of my principles of controlling and dominating the game.

“There were certain aspects that Gavin was frustrated with and what he wanted to improve and I think I can be an aid in that.

“Gavin will have his own ideas from his playing career and working under very good coaches and managers to build up his own methods.

“My role will be to challenge those, to look at things from a different perspective, and Gavin has been really open with me that he doesn’t want me to come in and agree with him in terms of coaching and structure.”

Shan has already shown how he can do this as in the game against Notts County in which Swindon went with a different defensive strategy with him playing a big role in devising it.

Speaking prior to that game, he said: “Gavin will have his own ideas and I have my strong philosophies, I am coming through a 23-year coaching career at a variety of levels.

“I have strong beliefs in how I see the game and I also have to understand quickly what Gavin wants and challenge him.

“If I think there might be another way of delivering something, it is to share that and let Gavin digest that.

“We are going to press slightly differently against Notts County and that is from some observations that Gavin and I have sat down and discussed from me having worked with the shape and having a strong belief in how I think it should be done.”