Ben Heneghan said he can’t wait to play his part in the ‘remarkable’ AFC Wimbledon story after signing for the Dons.
The 27-year-old centre-back was shown around facilities at our new stadium by Chief Executive Joe Palmer and it was an added attraction to making the move. Speaking after signing on the dotted line, the former Blackpool defender said: “When I spoke with the CEO he told me all about the history of the club, and it’s remarkable what happened really: how the club bounced back into the league so quickly. I have had a little look around Plough Lane, and it’s brilliant, so I can’t wait until the fans are back in there.
“I am just excited to be on board. The manager and the CEO talked to me about their vision for the club and where it’s going, so I can’t wait to get started. I will be giving it my all and hopefully we can have a successful season.”
As a young footballer, Ben worked with Glyn Hodges at Stoke City, but he reignited his football career at Chester, where he’s still warmly remembered for scoring the winner against arch-rivals Wrexham. It’s a memory that Ben cherishes and he wants to show his goalscoring prowess here, but his main priority is helping to keep clean sheets.
“I absolutely loved it at Chester, it was a club that gave me an opportunity,” added Ben. “I started out there at right-back, which was unfamiliar, but I kind of made the position my own, and I eventually moved to centre-back, where I got better and better the more games I played. That goal (against Wrexham) meant everything to me and I will always be remembered for it.
“I like to get on the end of a few things, so the more I score the better, but my aim is to keep the ball out of the net. I pride myself on clean sheets, so it will be my main focus to get as many of those as possible. I will leave the scoring to the strikers, but if I can chip in with a few I will be happy with that.”
Click on the link below to listen to Ben’s first interview after joining the Dons.