Academy graduate impressed the manager
Neal Ardley described Tom Beere’s work-rate as “phenomenal” against Southend last night and he’s hoping it will encourage more of the club’s youth products to stake first-team claims.
Nineteen-year-old Beere (pictured) was joined in the first-team last night by 17-year-old Ben Harrison and the Wimbledon manager was delighted with both of their contributions.
Speaking during an interview for Dons Player after the win against Southend, Neal Ardley said: “We know that Tom is technically and tactically good enough because we’ve seen those qualities in him, but last season we were trying to build-up his athleticism and power.
“I thought that the ground he covered tonight, particularly when we were down to 10 men, was phenomenal. I think last season he would have faded quite a bit so that’s a good sign. We wanted to find out if Tom could come out and do it and he has done. Now we have to nurture him and give him opportunities again when they arise.
“It was also great that Ben came in and coped really well. Alan Reeves told us how well Ben had done in pre-season and he did it against Aldershot. It’s a great success story and long may that continue. Now we are looking at players such as Will Nightingale and asking ‘can they get their form consistently high enough to show that they’re ready?’ That’s the challenge.”
Dons Player subscribers can now watch a video interview with Tom Beere on our premium channel, along with five minutes of highlights from last night’s dramatic win.