We have not seen the last of Paolo Di Canio, claims Swindon's caretaker manager

PAOLO DI CANIO: The Italian quit as Swindon’s manager after a dispute over the club’s ownership (Getty Images)

Tommy Miller, Swindon's joint caretaker manager, has refused to rule out Paolo Di Canio making a shock return following a change of ownership at the Wiltshire club.

Together with Darren Ward, Miller is one of two players in temporary charge of the League One side after Di Canio's resignation last week.

Asked in the wake of the 1-1 home draw with Preston North End on Saturday if he expects to see Di Canio again soon, Miller replied cryptically: "I'm sure he'll be back. He did a fantastic job, there's no denying that. He has his own ways and they work."

It would not belittle Swindon's football of recent times to suggest that a large proportion of the entertainment over the past two seasons has emanated from their dugout.

Their balding Italian former manager, ordinarily wearing a green jacket with a red and white scarf, was a conspicuous absence on Saturday.

Still reeling from the sale of Matt Ritchie to Bournemouth for £500,000, over which he claims not to have been consulted, Di Canio set a deadline of 5pm last Monday for the Football League to approve the takeover of the club by a local consortium.

When that time passed, he resigned. Three days later the takeover was ratified and Di Canio flew back from Italy only to be caught on CCTV raiding his old office under the cover of darkness for mementoes of his time at the club.

Andrew Black, the outgoing owner, claimed that Di Canio believed he was "bigger than the club". However, with new ownership now in place and the club still in the promotion hunt, a possible return for the 44-year-old is not out of the question.

Had Di Canio said his goodbyes? "No, he didn't say anything," said Miller. "Everything was planned as normal for the game on Tuesday and the week before we were aware that there was a meeting on the Monday and a deadline set."