Academy product returns in strong condition
Tom Beere has paid tribute to AFC Wimbledon Sports Scientist Jason Moriarty for helping him to make an impressive return.
Following a substitute appearance against Luton Town on Saturday, the 20-year-old academy product made only his second League 2 start in last night’s 0-0 draw at Cambridge United.
Beere has had to bounce back from a toe injury that required an operation, but he produced a display that Neal Ardley hailed as “excellent” at Cambridge and fitness work with Jason Moriarty has helped him return strongly.
, Beere said: “I’ve worked hard to get back and playing for the Under-21s has really helped me,” said the midfielder. “The work in the gym with Jason has gone well and I must thank him for that. I feel fitter and stronger now than I did two years ago. I think I’m a better player now and the management team have developed me really well.Dons PlayerSpeaking during an interview for
“When we move up from the Under-21s we are playing against grown men and any player who moves up has to be physically ready. We’re all physically fit after doing work in the gym with Jason and that has paid off.
“I needed surgery on my toe, but that’s fine now and there’s no problem with that. In football you have to overcome setbacks and I just want to play football now. Ideally, that will be for the first-team, but we have a good group here. I have to be on it every day in training so that the manager will think ‘Tom Beere has trained well this week’. That way I will get more opportunities.”
Beere admitted there was a sense among the squad that two points had been dropped at Cambridge last night and it was also a case of what might have been for the player himself as he twice had goal-bound efforts blocked close to the line.
“I thought I had scored with both of them, but hopefully my first goal will come soon,” Beere added. “We are a little bit upset as we felt we could have won it. I think if we had got an early goal then we could have won by three or four, but at least we got a point in a tough week for us.
“The manager told me that I would have made more starts this season if I would have been fit, but there is a lot of competition. I have to thank the manager for trusting me as there’s a lot of senior players in the squad. We’re all pushing each other and fighting for places and that’s a good thing.”
The full interview with Tom Beere is now on Dons Player, along with match highlights versus Cambridge, and Neal Ardley's post-match reaction.