James Hanson has thanked supporters for helping him through difficult times during the season and he believes that AFC Wimbledon can move forward as a club after staying in League One.
We earlier announced that James had left us by mutual consent and in a passionate message to supporters the 31-year-old striker said that it meant a lot to him to play a part in our Great Escape.
“Pre-season did not go as well as I’d planned and I feel that I could have been a slightly different player in the first half of the season if I’d had a full summer under my belt,” said James. “Obviously, injuries happen and there’s nothing you can do about it. I had to come back and work hard in the gym so that I could contribute in any way that I possibly could.
“I am absolutely delighted for everyone connected to the club that AFC Wimbledon stayed up. For the size of the club, it’s brilliant the way it is run. With the staff, people who work behind the scenes, and the supporters, it’s a nice family club. To keep that League One stability was massive. Everyone had written us off by Christmas, so it was nice to be a part of that Great Escape.
“Every game from February was basically a cup final so we knew that we had to win matches. As most of the games during the run-in were against teams around us, we knew that we couldn’t afford to get beaten. Obviously, the goals I scored against Scunthorpe were important. We knew they were in freefall and they were just a few points ahead of us before we played them. It was a big game and our victory meant that we clawed back the deficit to Scunthorpe. We could see that there was light at the end of the tunnel after that win, so I would say that was the highlight for me.
“I want to thank all of the fans, each and every one of them, for the support that they gave me, even when I was going through a tough time with niggling injuries. I genuinely wish AFC Wimbledon all the best and I hope next season that the club builds on the momentum from the second half of last season. Who knows what can happen? Anything is possible. If you look at the second half of the season, it was play-off form. If the team can continue like that, you never know what will happen, especially in League One.”
All at AFC Wimbledon thank James for his efforts in a Wimbledon shirt and we wish him well in the future.