Sean McGurk has been struggling with the rigours of consistent League Two football, according to interim head coach Gavin Gunning.

The 21-year-old made his first step into senior football after joining Swindon from Leeds United on the final day of the January transfer window and made an instant impression with standout performances against Gillingham and Tranmere Rovers.

However, despite showing his undeniable quality, McGurk has been used sparingly since his arrival, he has yet to play more than 70 minutes in a match and has been left on the bench in Town’s last two fixtures against Barrow AFC and Sutton United.

The midfielder has scored twice across his six starts but has also struggled to make much of an impact in other matches and has been twice removed at the break.

Gunning said that he felt the former Wigan Athletic youngster needed to add greater consistency to his game to become more of a regular in the side.

He said: “Sean McGurk is on the bench; these games are tough for him because he is just getting used to men’s football and you have got to nurture him.

“Where you have seen his performances, he has been a nine out of ten and then he has been a four or five out of ten.

“That is the realism of where Paul [Glatzel] has been at, he has been an eight constantly and that is the difference between those two at the minute.”

Gunning said that the physicality of League Two has been a difficult adjustment for a player who had been thriving in Premier League 2 this season, but his only prior exposure to senior football had been 4 appearances in the EFL Trophy for Leeds under-21s.

The 33-year-old said that McGurk's eye-catching start at Town has brought about harsh punishment from opposition players, and he feels that he is still learning about how to deal with that kind of treatment from defenders.

He said: “I think he has just found it tough; it is men’s football, and you have the flourish and then you get smacked a few times and you are carrying a few niggles.

“That is where he is at, I think that he has had a few tasty challenges on him, and he has found the level difficult.

“When he is hot, he is hot, but when he is getting smashed then it becomes tough for him.”