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Luongo urged to take the lead at Swindon

30th July, 2014
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Swindon Town manager Mark Cooper wants Socceroos youngster Massimo Luongo to step up and become a leader at the English third-tier outfit.

The star midfielder has become a key player for the club, enough to attract interest from Championship side Rotherham in the off-season.

Luongo was a member of Australia’s World Cup squad in Brazil and made his international debut off the bench in March’s friendly loss to Ecuador.

Cooper has urged on the 21-year-old to be more vocal on the pitch when the 2014-2015 League One campaign kicks off next month.

“I think leaders are very short in supply in the modern game and invariably you have to pay a lot of money to get them,” the coach told the Swindon Advertiser.

“They’re usually 28 or 29 and you have to pay a lot of money to get them – so they might be a little too far out of our reach.

“Yes, we could probably do with a leader on the pitch but the boys that we’ve got have got to step up to the mark now.

“I would class Yaser (Kasim) as experienced, I’d class Mass (Luongo) as experienced, I’d class Wes (Foderingham) as experienced and Nathan (Thompson), so we’re looking for them to push on to become more vocal.”

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Swindon will have one of the youngest squads in the division when the new season starts on August 9 against Scunthorpe at home.

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