Barden aims to perform 'best' he can after start

Daniel Barden had a trial with Forest Green before signing for Swindon this summer

Swindon Town goalkeeper Daniel Barden has said it is up to him to perform the "best that I can" after being given his first league start for the club.

Barden signed for the Robins on transfer deadline day on a season-long loan from Norwich and started in place of Jack Bycroft for Tuesday's draw with Tranmere.

The 23-year-old missed almost all of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

"It was a big moment for me, it's been a long time since I've played a league game," Barden told BBC Radio Wiltshire.

"I think it's important if I get a run of games now that I support the team and do my best on the pitch, because it's my responsibility now to make sure that I'm performing the best I can be."

Swindon head coach Mark Kennedy said Barden's performances in training had been strong enough for him to make a "big and tough" decision to change his starting goalkeeper for Tuesday's match.

Bycroft, also 23, had played every minute of Swindon's eight League Two matches this season before the Tranmere match.

Barden made 14 appearances for Maidstone in the National League during a loan spell with the club in 2022-23 and played a handful of Premier League 2 matches last season for Norwich's under-21 side as he came back from his knee injury.

"That's ultimately been my goal, it's to get into the team and keep playing," Barden said.

"Jack's been brilliant since he found out he wasn't playing, full credit to him he's been really supportive and I think I was supportive through the weeks I was on the bench.

"It's a testament to the goalkeeping group we have including Mildey (Steve Mildenhall, goalkeeping coach) who's supported us both while this transition's happened.

"It's really important as a group it's not toxic - it's nothing like that - and we're really supportive of each other."