Midfielder says the Dons are in good shape ahead of match
says he has been surprised by how quickly Wimbledon’s squad has gelled, ahead of tonight’s match against his old club.Peter Sweeney
about those times and talked about his comeback after suffering a broken foot just a month after signing for Wimbledon in February.Dons PlayerSweeney, who started his career with Millwall and spent four years at the Den which included helping the club to an FA Cup Final, spoke to
The 28-year-old said: “I am feeling really good and I am always looking to improve, especially after joining in January and getting injured so soon afterwards. I just have to keep working my hardest and give everything. It is great for us to have a good squad now; competition is a benefit at every club because it keeps players on their toes. I know that there are players that can come in and do a great job, which will really help us when the games are coming thick and fast.
“It has come together quicker than everyone thought. We have a squad with 10 new players and I have been at other clubs when it has been tough to bring in so many new faces at once. It can be hard for the management staff to get their ideas across, but I don’t think we could have asked for it to have gone any better so far.
“It was a tough pre-season that involved a lot of work with the ball, but we are looking good. We did not pass the ball as well as we would have liked at Torquay, but the togetherness and willingness not to concede goals was absolutely brilliant. There were so many positives to take from that game.”
Sweeney, who left Millwall in 2005 for Stoke City and has also had spells at Leeds United, Grimsby and Bury, is relishing tonight’s Capital One Cup tie.
“I am really looking forward to it,” he added. “Not just because it is an old club of mine, but because it is a good fixture for Wimbledon and we will certainly be going there to win. I have happy memories of Millwall because I came through as a YTS at the club, played in an FA Cup Final, and in Europe. Millwall gave me my chance and I will always remember that. I wanted to get out of London though because I had a few distractions back at home and it was the right move at the right time for me to leave for Stoke.”
Millwall still have six players in their squad from the last time the two clubs met in 2009 when the Dons were defeated 4-1 in an FA Cup first round tie. However, one of those players is goalkeeper David Forde and new manager Steve Lomas will have to do without his number one because the Irish international has a knee injury. Luke Moore and Seb Brown are the only two surviving members from Wimbledon's squad at Millwall nearly four years ago. Neal Ardley, Andy Frampton and Charlie Sheringham also all had spells at Millwall in their careers.
The full video interview with Peter Sweeney is on Dons Player, along with the thoughts of Neal Ardley. .Cup ticketsand for ticket information, click on Millwall preview If you missed Neal’s update yesterday, click on