Mark Cooper's first 5 signings as Swindon Town manager - Where are they now? | OneFootball

It is now 10 years since Mark Cooper took over the reins at Swindon Town following Kevin MacDonald's departure.

The former Peterborough, Kettering and Darlington boss initially served as MacDonald's assistant, before spending two years as number one at the County Ground.

He guided Swindon to an eighth-place finish in League One during his first season and led them to the play-off final the following year, only to lose out to Preston North End at Wembley.

Cooper departed the club five months later, going on to manage Notts County, Forest Green and Barrow before taking charge of current employers Yeovil Town in October 2022.

But what happened to the first five players he signed during his Swindon tenure? Well, it is fair to say they have all endured contrasting fortunes.

1 Mohamed El-Gabbas

Egypt international El-Gabbas became Cooper's first signing when he arrived from Belgian side Lierse in August 2013.

But the forward only lasted a few months at the County Ground, starting just once against Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Trophy.

El-Gabbas moved on that January to French side Arles and had a second spell with Lierse as well as two stints with Egyptian side Wadi Degla, and the 35-year-old has since settled in his homeland with Pyramids.

2 Dany N'Guessan

On the same day, former Leicester and Millwall forward N'Guessan signed a deal with Swindon until the end of the 2013-14 season.

The Frenchman had been a free agent since his release from the Lions, and scored eight goals in 31 appearances for the Robins across all competitions.

But despite finishing as the club's joint-top scorer that season, he was not offered a new contract and subsequently departed the County Ground.

N'Guessan had subsequent spells with Port Vale, AEL and Doncaster Rovers before finishing his career with Norwegian side IK Start in 2017.

3 Nicky Ajose

Cooper went to former club Peterborough to bring in striker Ajose on a loan deal until January 2014.

The former Manchester United academy graduate enjoyed a brief but prolific spell at the County Ground, with 10 goals in 21 appearances.

Ajose returned on a permanent deal in September 2015, finishing as League One's second-highest scorer behind Will Grigg with 24 goals.

He left the following summer and had less successful spells with Charlton Athletic and Exeter City where, aged 29, he became a youth coach after his contract expired in 2021.

4 Ben Gladwin

Gladwin's impressive exploits with non-league Marlow saw Cooper sign him in October 2013.

The midfielder went on to make 152 appearances across four separate stints with the Robins - two of which were loans in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.

He enjoyed another permanent spell at the County Ground between July 2021 and January 2023, before departing for current employers Crawley Town.

5 George Barker

Barker came through the youth ranks at Brighton and Hove Albion, before joining Swindon on an 18-month deal in January 2014.

But the young forward made just 16 appearances for the Robins during that time, while also having a loan spell with Tranmere Rovers. He failed to score and was released at the end of his contract.

Barker has since featured for several non-league clubs and, now 31, has been with AFC Portchester since 2021.