Young player on signing a pro deal
Tom Beere says he’s been left in no doubt about what he needs to improve upon in his quest for first-team football.
After signing his second professional contract with Wimbledon, 19-year-old Tom believes his game has come on in leaps and bounds during the past year or so and scoring a superb winner in the London Senior Cup Final certainly showed what he’s capable of.
However, Tom knows that the hard work starts now as he strives to impress Neal Ardley enough to earn his first-team debut.
“I have grown up quite a lot and my game has matured since Under-18 level,” said Tom. “When I have been in the first-team squad the senior players talked to me and made me feel comfortable. I’ve had to come out of my shell a bit because I’m not much of a talker.
“There’s always room for improvement in all areas of my game. I’ve been given an off-season training programme so that I’ll be fit for when we return. The manager says that if I do play a first-team game then he does not feel that I would be able to last the full 90 minutes. I need to work on my fitness and maybe do extra work after training if need be.”
Tom, who first came to the attention of Dons fans with a series of eye-catching forward displays during last pre-season, added that the support he has received recently offers plenty of motivation to continue his progress.
“When I first found out that I would be signing I just wanted it done and dusted,” said Tom. “I feel at home here. Fans sometimes write to me on Twitter and it feels like one big family here. I had a lot of feedback from fans saying how well we did after the London Senior Cup Final. That means a lot.
“Obviously, it’s your job but fans pay to watch you and it’s good to give them something back. You could hear the fans on that night and it makes a difference. Every game that I play in I don’t want to lose and it was a cup final so it was good to get a winner’s medal.”