City clinch Flint capture Posted: Tue 11 Jun 2013 Author: Adam Baker Aden Flint Aden Flint Image by: josephmeredith.com Exclusive: Defender pens four-year deal. City have completed the signing of Swindon Town defender Aden Flint for an undisclosed fee. The 23-year-old has penned a four-year contract after agreeing terms and successfully passing a medical at Ashton Gate. Head coach Sean O’Driscoll said of his latest recruit: “I saw him play for Alfreton a while back, but in the last 18 months he’s improved immensely. I’ve seen him four or five times since then and he’s grown on me. “He’s worked under Paolo Di Canio, through a successful period, and then with Kevin MacDonald, who got Swindon into the play-offs. “He’s not the finished article and we’re not bringing in an established centre-half, but he’s that type who we can bring in and develop. “I wouldn’t want to class him as a ‘head it and kick it’ type, because he’s not afraid to have the ball at his feet and use it sensibly. “Any lad who’s that big can look a bit cumbersome at times, but Aden and Darren Ward were a good partnership at Swindon. “He’s quick enough too and in terms of looking for a young centre-half who you can actually play straight away and you feel there’s improvement to come, he fits the bill.” O’Driscoll sees Flint as the dominant figure City have arguably been missing since the departure of promotion-winner Jamie McCombe in 2010. “The club has been looking for this type of player for a long time,” he added. “I think Aden was mooted even before I came here. “When I walked through the door, people said ‘have a look at him’, and that’s what we’ve been doing. We’re delighted to have him on board.” Flint began his career in non-league football with his hometown club Pinxton before stepping up to the Conference South with Alfreton Town in 2008. After a brief loan spell at Matlock Town, the 6ft 5in defensive giant helped Alfreton reach the play-offs in 2009/10. The youngster’s impressive form caught the eye of several clubs, with Swindon Town winning the race to his signature in January 2010 on a two-and-a-half year deal. He was soon loaned back to Alfreton and took on the captain’s armband to lead the Reds to the Conference North title in 2011. Flint celebrated another promotion the following season, having returned to the County Ground, being a consistent performer in the Wiltshire side’s League Two title-winning campaign. Last season Swindon reached the League One play-offs and Flint headed a stoppage time equaliser to send their semi-final tie at Brentford into extra time, only to lose in a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out. Flint was an England C (non-league) international before his move to Swindon. The deal is subject to Football League clearance.
Aden Flint couldn’t hide his excitement at the “new challenge” that awaits him at Bristol City. The 23-year-old today put pen to paper on a four-year contract at Ashton Gate, completing the long-running summer transfer saga that sees him move along the M4 from Swindon Town for an undisclosed fee. The “no-nonsense centre-half” – in his own words – admits he’s delighted to finally get the deal done and now can’t wait for the season to come around. “It’s been a long process but I’m glad it’s finalised,” he told Bristol City Player in an exclusive video interview. “It’s a massive club and this is a new challenge for me. I’ve had two-and-a-half good years at Swindon and I just think this is a better opportunity for me to improve my game and kick on from here. “It’s been difficult (the move) as [Swindon] gave me my first chance in the Football League and I obviously thank them, but as I said, I see this as a new challenge for me and one I’m looking forward to.” Flint believes his progress has come on leaps and bounds during his spell at the County Ground, where he helped the Wiltshire club to the League Two title in 2011/12. He continued: “I had a good time at Swindon. We started off badly when we were relegated into League Two, but we turned it around straight away by winning the championship. “We fell short last year in the play-offs by getting knocked out in the semi-finals, which was disappointing, but it was a good two years. “I think my game has progressed quite a lot as I was inexperienced when I first came into the professional game. “I would like to thank the managers I have worked under who have given me the opportunity to play, because if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have improved like I have.” Of his new club, the Pinxton-born defender said: “I know it’s a massive club with ambitions to get back into the Championship and I’m looking forward to being a part of those plans. “I want to have a good pre-season and push my way into the team. Hopefully I can then kick on throughout the season and win the majority of the games to help the team. “There are a couple of weeks until we come in for pre-season and I’m looking forward to it. I’ll have to get into the gym now and keep ticking over until then – I’m looking forward to starting.
Flint ready to play his part Wednesday 12th June 2013 10:33 Aden Flint: Keen to earn regular place in side Aden Flint: Keen to earn regular place in side Bet with SkyBet £10 completely free bet Bristol City's newest signing Aden Flint is targeting a regular place in the side as he looks to guide the Robins back to the Championship at the first attempt. The centre-back made the short move from Swindon on Tuesday after drawn out negotiations with the newly-relegated Ashton Gate outside. And he believes the size of his new club persuaded him to leave The County Ground. "I know it's a massive club with ambitions to get back into the Championship and I'm looking forward to being a part of those plans," he told City's official website. "I want to have a good pre-season and push my way into the team. Hopefully I can then kick on throughout the season and win the majority of the games to help the team. "There are a couple of weeks until we come in for pre-season and I'm looking forward to it. I'll have to get into the gym now and keep ticking over until then - I'm looking forward to starting."
Aden Flint: Why I had to leave Swindon Town 6:00am Wednesday 12th June 2013 in Sport By Andy Warren Aden Flint Aden Flint DEFENDER Aden Flint felt he had to leave Swindon for League One rivals Bristol City to give himself the best chance of playing Championship football and progressing as a player. The centre-half signed a four-year contract after passing a medical at Ashton Gate yesterday, completing a deal the Advertiser understands to be worth £350,000 with a £300,000 initial payment supplemented with £50,000 payable depending on appearances and promotion. Flint’s move west is also thought to include a 20 per cent sell-on clause, and a similar agreement in the defender’s move to Swindon from Alfreton in 2011 caused a sticking point when City initially bid for the player as Town wanted them to settle the non-league side’s share of the deal. It is not yet clear whether Town or the Bristol side have paid Alfreton’s share, but the Advertiser understands the amount totals between £25,000 and £30,000 due to the fact the sell-on only applies to the profit made on the £150,000 Town originally paid for the player. After completing his move the 23-year-old admitted he will always be grateful to Town for giving him his chance in the Football League, but insisted the time was right for him to move on. “It wasn’t an easy decision, but I feel it is a massive opportunity for me to move forward in my career and improve as a player,” he told the Advertiser. “I want to say thanks to Swindon for giving me the chance to start in the professional game, and I will always be grateful, but the opportunity to sign for Bristol was too good to turn down. “They have a massive chance of getting promoted back to the Championship next year, and it will be good to get another year in League One under my belt this year with Bristol, and then hopefully get up to the Championship for next season. Ads by Google You Could Be Owed £2400 Had A Capital 1 Credit Card? You Could Be Owed A Refund CapitalOne.BankRefunds.net The Bankruptcy Calculator Free UK Online Test for 2013. Find out if you qualify in minutes. Trapped.co.uk/Bankruptcy-Calculator “After we lost in the play-offs I was fully committed to Swindon, but when an opportunity like this came it was too good to turn down and I felt it was right for me and right for my career.” Flint believes he improved considerably as a footballer during his two-and-ahalf years in Wiltshire, and was quick to thank his former managers for the help they have given him. “When I arrived I was not used to professional football and didn’t know what to expect, and Swindon brought me on a lot from the time I first turned up, and I will always be grateful to have been given the chance and for the managers believing in me,” he said. “I want to say thanks to Paolo Di Canio, Kevin MacDonald and Danny Wilson, who brought me in and signed me, but I still have a lot to improve on and get my head around. “The new manager (Sean O’Driscoll) seems nice and I have been told he is a good coach, and I look forward to working with him.” The defender will take a wealth of memories away from the County Ground, but is already looking forward to returning as a Bristol City player even though he knows he is likely to be on the receiving end of abuse from his former fans. “There are a few memories which I will always have like winning the League Two title, and the play-off game against Brentford which we lost, but the goal I scored to take it to extra-time is a good memory,” he said. “It was very disappointing, and we were all gutted, and it was hard for all the lads. “I am looking forward to it (coming back) and I know I will get a bet of stick, but I am big enough and grown up enough to take it and block it out and play my game, and I am looking forward to coming back to the County Ground.”
Am I the only one slightly concerned by SOD's comment - He’s not the finished article and we’re not bringing in an established centre-half ????????
Delighted that we finally got Flint yesterday, one of our much-needed gaps filled. As for SODs comment about the lad not being "...the finished article" - Flint is only 23 and hasn't played above L1 level, so there should be room for development. Maybe he's just dampening down expectations, as usual? SOD, with his dour nature, does strike me as a "glass half empty" kind of guy. If he signed Lionel Messi tomorrow, I'd expect him to say something like "He's obviously a useful lad, but I feel being here will help him develop his game, and maybe he'll score a few more goals than he normally does".
I think it is as likely to be that he doesn't (a) want Flint loaded with enormous expectation (b) He honestly believes that Flint will develop further hopefully with us as we go up the table and leagues.
