Striker turned down other League 2 clubs
Craig Tanner believes that AFC Wimbledon is the ideal place to continue his football education – and that’s why he chose the Dons instead of other League 2 clubs.
Speaking to Rob Cornell during an interview for Dons Player, the 20-year-old striker talked passionately about joining Wimbledon on loan from Reading and continuing his progression under the guidance of Neal Ardley.
“There were a few other League 2 clubs in for me, but Neal Ardley is a modern manager who is very hands-on at training and approachable. He still wants me to add my creativity and goal scoring, but also to adapt that to the team. I just want to get games under my belt and score goals. Having the consistency of training Monday to Friday and playing games on a Saturday really appealed to me. With the history of Wimbledon as a club, it’s a dream come true to sign here.
“Michael Owen was my idol because he was not a six foot striker, but he scored so many goals with his head due to his movement. That was amazing for someone of his size. He was the one I watched growing up because he is of similar size and build to me. At Reading, Adam Le Fondre’s finishing was so clinical when he was there and I used to stay on at the end of training to get some pointers.
“I’ve been working on finishing with David Connolly today and his finishing is unbelievable – he hits the back of the net every time! Hopefully, I can get some more tips from him and take that into games and score a few.”
that he had signed a two-and-a-half year contract with the Royals – and the striker is determined to catch the eye by scoring goals during his loan spell.announcedOn the same day that Craig joined Wimbledon, Reading
“I was delighted to sign for over two years because I’ve been at Reading since I was eight years of age,” Craig added. “To stay close to my roots is nice because I’m a Reading boy. To play for the club is what I really want to do, but I want to wear the Wimbledon badge and give everything. I will give 100 per cent in every game and hopefully I can help get us into the play-offs.”
Dons Player subscribers can watch the full video interview with Craig Tanner, along with a seven-minute update from Neal Ardley ahead of Saturday’s match against Accrington Stanley.