WHAT DOES HE NEED?

A right-footed player, he may not be the quickest but he has a defender’s mindset — tackling fairly and jockeying on the move. He also knows when to gamble and intercept and distribute to his more creative teammates in midfield. He is a talker, using his experience of controlling when to push out and follow the play and when to hold the line. He reminds me of another centre back who progressed from the lower leagues — Craig Dawson at West Brom — as he has the knack of finding vital headed goals from set-pieces. Centre backs can play until their mid-30s as positioning is the key. Flint has learned the ropes and climbed the ladder. If he does not take his leadership qualities into the top flight with Bristol City he may get the chance elsewhere.