Who is Ben Gladwin for the uninformed amongst us?





He's a skilful, ball-playing midfielder with an eye for goal. Though he's not blessed with great pace, he can beat an opposing defender with a tidy stepover or a deft touch.





Ben arrived late in the professional game. He was hanging around the Southern League with Marlow before being picked up by Swindon in November 2013 and his rise since then has been remarkable. He became a first-team regular at Swindon last season and soon showed that he's more than just a playmaker, with eight goals in his final seven appearances for the club.





He's pretty versatile having played as a number 10 or at left-back. What would you say was his best position?





While he was used as a left wing-back at times, Ben's best position is certainly in midfield and probably in an advanced role just behind the strikers.





Out wide, though he can whip a ball in with pace and can skin a full-back with skill rather than speed, he's not as much of a goal threat. In an attacking midfield role, as he showed in the League One play-off semi-final, he adds an extra option going forward and can put his cannon of a shot to good use.





Ben was been much travelled on the non-league circuit before Swindon picked him up. Why did it click for him at the County Ground?





He was given a chance to shine. That's generally been the model at Swindon in recent years - with kids from the Premier League coming in on loan and non-league journeymen being handed a second chance.





The general consensus amongst the playing and coaching staff at Swindon was that Ben looked like the real deal on the training ground from the moment he walked in the door at the County Ground, but it took time - and perhaps the instilment of a bit of confidence - for him to transfer that potential into matchdays.





With the support offered to him, he's developed massively in a short space of time.





How do you think he will handle the step up to the Championship?





I think initially it will be a challenge. The pace of the game might be a bit different to what League One can at times be like but he certainly has the raw potential to become a very useful asset for QPR.





There are some areas he still needs to work on - mainly defensive responsibilities and heading (strange for a man of six-foot six inches) - but he'll definitely relish the challenge of playing at a higher level.





QPR beat off stiff competition for his signature. Why do you think he turned down some bigger moves?





As he mentioned in his interviews after signing, it is a more realistic career move for him - if he wants game time - than switching to the Premier League. Moving with Massimo Luongo, his close friend and former Swindon teammate, must have also been a bit of a draw.





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