IT is two-and-a-half years since Nat Brown made his Town debut and yet the debate rumbles on.

Just which position is his best?

The 23-year-old has played as a striker, a wide-right midfielder and, most recently, as a right-back in Peter Jackson's reshuffled defence.

Perhaps his biggest impact, however, was made as a central defender in Mick Wadsworth's only season with the club.

Brown made a very favourable impression alongside the likes of Adie Moses and Eddie Youds and played 26 out of 28 matches towards the end of that campaign.

It was enough to convince the Sheffield-born player that centre-back was his preferred occupation, although he's willing to compromise for a place in the starting line-up.

Manager Jackson believes he has plenty to offer up front, but Brown is now aiming to prove he's the ready replacement for hernia-injury victim Andy Holdsworth on the right of the back four.

"I'm just hoping to stay in the team, whichever position the gaffer wants me to play," said Brown, who has started the last three matches after a three-month wait for a recall.

"If he moves me to any position I will go there, but with Andy Holdsworth being out at the moment I've just got to try and take advantage of that fact and concentrate on playing full-back.

"I can't see a chance coming at centre-back at the moment because they are playing well, and it's the same among the strikers, so I'll just aim to play as well as I can when I'm given the chance and hopefully keep my place in the team.

"While I'm not really a right-back, I'm learning all the time and I'll do the job as long as the manager wants me to.

"He's put me in there to help the team and I'll just work to improve and improve and improve.

"If I'm doing well enough then I'll stay in there and, if that's the case, then I'll be happy."

In addition to defensive duties - last week it was marking Gareth O'Connor in the 3-2 win against Bournemouth - Brown's 6ft 2in frame has become a major feature in Town's set-piece routines.

Instead of aiming for Andy Booth all the time, several of Tony Carss' free-kicks were aimed for Brown to win in the air - and he didn't disappoint.

"I can hear the manager on the bench shouting for me to get forward, and he likes me to stay up there for free-kicks," explained the former Academy player.

"He gives me lots of encouragement to battle for the ball and it's great that he's backing you to do well all the time."

Brown was delighted to play his part in securing Town's first three-point haul in six matches against Bournemouth, although he accepts it was a tough battle in front of League I's biggest crowd of the day (9,754).

"It was a difficult match, but the lads stuck together and got the result we needed," said Brown, who was in and out of the squad earlier in the season.

"The lads had stuck together all week during training (following the defeat over at Barnsley) and we were very determined to win against a good Bournemouth side.

"In the first half we didn't give them a sniff and played very confidently, while in the second half we were so determined not to concede that we started panicking a bit and dropping off way too deep.

"Having said that, I thought Efe Sodje played really well and we got a lot of bodies behind the ball, so we deserved the 3-2 scoreline.

"Hopefully we can go on, now, and work our way back into the play-off chase.

"That's where the gaffer wants us to be and we're all determined to back him all the way by giving 100% in every match.

"If we do get back within striking distance, nobody will be fighting harder than us to get in the top six because the lads appreciate the manager has shown faith in us.

"He hasn't gone out signing loads of loan players, just brought in the odd one to help strengthen things.

"He has left it to the lads who brought us up last season and it would be great, now, if we could get the run going which we've been after all season."