Experienced defender interviewed ahead of Bury
Darius Charles says he is relishing playing a part in a difficult run of fixtures for AFC Wimbledon after spending so long out of the game through injury.
Charles suffered a broken leg playing for Stevenage in February 2015 and he did not feature for Burton Albion, before a move to the Dons in March, initially on loan, reignited his career.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s match at Bury, Charles fully appreciates being a part of AFC Wimbledon’s League One adventure.
“It’s tough because the games are coming thick and fast,” Charles said. “But it’s just a blessing to get out there and play, especially because I was out for a long time. There was a time when this was not even an option for me. The fact I can go out there every week and play is a great thing. I don’t like to think of it (spell out) as lost time. I learned a lot during that time out about myself mentally, which has helped me come back from injury.
“The moment I start taking things for granted I will get reminded! When you’ve had a long lay-off, it makes you appreciate what you are able to do that bit more. Things are starting to take shape at the back – you can see that from the last three or four games. It is starting to show in our performances.
“The manager made us take a long, hard look at ourselves. He showed us where we were going wrong and made sure that in training we put things right. Now going into games we are in a good place mentally and physically to get good results.”
Charles, who played as a striker for a spell at Stevenage, has chipped in with two goals so far this season – including a cracker in the win at Oxford United – and he’s targeting plenty more.
“I’ve set myself a target of eight goals this season,” added Charles. “I have two already so hopefully I can get to eight as quickly as possible and then see what happens.”
The full interview with Darius Charles features on Dons Player, along with an update from Neil Cox ahead of Bury.