A product of Town's academy, the midfielder was brought into the first-team by Di Canio last year.
And Thompson has now signed his first professional deal to keep him at the County Ground until 2015.
Louis Thompson: "I'm thankful to Di Canio because he gave me my chance and toughened me up for my future life.
"It was a bit of a surprise coming straight out of school and in to the Di Canio era. I went from going in twice a week to twice a day. It was a tough time and it made me mature.
"He made me work harder and it made me that bit sharper and gave me an extra edge on people my age.
“It was a bit of a surprise coming straight out of school and into the Di Canio era.
"He's toughened me up as a person, not just as a player."