Winger can't wait for return trip
Sean Rigg is determined to stake a claim for a starting role after impressing as a substitute in recent weeks and he is relishing his first return to the Kassam Stadium tomorrow.
The 27-year-old spent two seasons with Oxford United, but he missed the 0-0 draw in 2014/15 back at his old club due to suspension.
That turned out to be one of only two matches last season that Rigg missed for AFC Wimbledon as he made 52 appearances during his debut campaign with the Dons.
It’s been a bit different for Rigg this time around, but he has made a big impact when coming off the bench and he scored his first goal of the season against Barnet last Saturday.
“I was disappointed not to start the season in the side, but the manager spoke to me, Jon Meades and Callum Kennedy to say that we will all get our opportunities,” Rigg told Dons Player. “There are a lot of games and there is no point looking into it too deeply before the season gets going. When my chance comes around I have to make sure I take it. In the meantime, I will do as much as I can coming off the bench and try to make an impact.
“George (Francomb) is great technically and he gives you that and his set-pieces as well and ‘Barchy’ has a lot of pace down the left. I can do a bit of both. It is hard for the manager to make that decision. We are all in contention and pushing each other for places. All I can do is work hard and fight for my place. That is what it’s all about and it keeps us all on our toes.
“It was very important last week (his goal v Barnet) because there was a lot of pressure on us at the end and it calmed it down a bit. It was a goal and that's all that mattered. People said it was offside, but I didn’t mind as long as it was a goal. It was good link-up play with Ade Azeez.”
Rigg has mixed memories of his time at the Kassam Stadium, but he goes back there in good heart about AFC Wimbledon’s prospects for the rest of this season.
“I enjoyed my time there,” added Rigg. “In the first season I played the majority of games and scored seven goals. My second season there started well, but I picked up a couple of hamstring injuries, which was a bit of a setback. Then there was a change of manager with Gary Waddock coming in and I never really got a chance. That was disappointing for me, but I had some good times there.
“It’s always nice to go back to an old club. It’s a nice stadium, the pitch is always lovely, and they are doing well. But I think we can go and give them a good game if we are on it. I am looking forward to it. We are confident at the moment. We have a good team spirit and we are on a bit of a roll at the moment. We have a lot of belief and it’s just trying to put everything together. If we can turn some of the draws into wins it will be a totally different story.”
.Team UpdateIf you missed Neal Ardley’s thoughts on tomorrow’s game, click on
The full Dons Player interview with Sean Rigg featured on Dons Player earlier today and a full seven-minute interview with Neal is also on our premium channel.