strugglers Swindon Town on loan.

Bermudian international Lightbourne was made available for transfer by his club, Stoke City, shortly before Christmas.

The 32-year-old player has been forced out of the first team picture at the Britannia Stadium after manager Gudjon Thordarson brought in new blood.

The Icelandic manager drafted in a fellow countryman on loan and paid Burnley 300,000 for Andy Cooke.

With other strikers already at the Potteries' club, Lightbourne found his chances diminish dramatically.

His contract runs out in the summer and it is believed Stoke are trying to cash in on him now before he is able to leave for free.

Although he has made two substitute appearances in the New Year, the player has not started a game since the 8-0 Worthington Cup defeat by Premier League giants Liverpool.

Ironically the week before the cup debacle Lightbourne scored twice in a 3-0 win -- over Swindon! Although the move to the Wiltshire club is only for a month initially, it is believed the Robins are interested in making the deal permanent.

The move was announced by Stoke City's football executive, John Rudge, yesterday lunchtime after a morning of negotiations.

"It's a good move for Kyle and the club,'' he said. "It gives him the chance to get regular first-team football, which he is not getting here at the moment, and it puts him in the shop window.

"He is suffering from the competition here and although it means we now have three strikers out on loan we still have Peter Thorne, Rikhardur Dadason, Andy Cooke, Stefan Thordarson, Dean Crowe and Marc Goodfellow.

"Swindon have taken him on loan but with a view to a permanent move.'' Lightbourne was unavailable for comment yesterday, having travelled to Swindon to prepare for today's match against Stoke's crosstown rivals, Port Vale.

If things go well the player could find himself forging a partnership with one of the most controversial strikers in the English game.

At the same time as Swindon were sealing the deal for Lightbourne they were also in the midst of negotiations to bring much-travelled Stan Collymore to the club.

Collymore has been told he can leave his club, Bradford City, and Swindon have nipped in with a cheeky bid to lure the player down from the Premier League to the Second Division.

Town chief executive Pete Rowe said yesterday: "We had a board meeting yesterday and it was decided that we need to strengthen our squad.

"We put together a shortlist of names, looked at those on offer and decided to bid for a certain Stanley Victor Collymore.

"We put in a bid to Bradford yesterday afternoon and we are currently in negotiations with the club over the right package. There is still some work to be done and we have not yet spoken to the player.'' Kyle Lightbourne: could be in Swindon's side for today's match against Port Vale.