Toby Sibbick has today joined newly promoted Championship side Barnsley after a five-year spell at AFC Wimbledon.
The 20-year-old right-back has transferred to the South Yorkshire club for an undisclosed fee after making a key contribution to our Great Escape last season.
Toby, who signed for us as a 15-year-old after being spotted by our academy coaches playing locally at the Conquest Football Academy in Isleworth, progressed through the ranks here to make 38 first-team appearances. After helping our young Dons into the last-16 of the FA Youth Cup for two successive seasons, Toby made significant strides and last season he scored a memorable FA Cup goal to knock out Premier League side West Ham. Toby became a regular during the second half of last season, playing a pivotal part in helping to retain Wimbledon’s League One status.
Speaking about the transfer, Wally Downes said: “I would have liked to have kept Toby, but we felt we couldn’t stand in his way after the bid came in. The fee will help us to increase the playing budget so it suits us, but it also suits Barnsley and the player. Toby was a big part of what we did last season. He scored the goal that made us all breathe a sigh of relief against West Ham and the team’s performances after that showed what we could do. In a way his goal against West Ham kick-started us, it gave us belief that we could stay up, and Toby’s performances caught the eye.
“I’m sorry to lose Toby, but it can happen when a player does really well for your team, and it’s my job to replace him. We are making headway on that and certainly we will have something done before the start of the season."
All at AFC Wimbledon thank Toby for his contribution and we wish him every success in his future career.