Morgan Williams capped off a memorable introduction to senior football this season with his Dons debut, but how we came across the Welsh youngster is even more remarkable.
First-team coach Rob Tuvey was proudly on the touchline when the attacking midfielder was given the call from the substitutes' bench, for the closing stages of our final game at Grimsby. He was also there that day when the talented youngster’s skills were first discovered.
“I’ve been here since I was five and this is my 13th season at the Club,” said Morgs. “Rob Tuvey picked me out, playing in Wimbledon Park, when I was five-years old. He brought me down to the Under-7s a year early and then I’ve gone on from there. It was great to have him in the dugout when I made my debut.
“I know the Club so well now. I know about the history and what it means to play for Wimbledon - everything I need to represent the Club. It’s good that 13 years on I can finally say that I made my debut for the Club I’ve known for pretty much my whole life."
Recalling the day his talents were discovered by Wimbledon, Morgan said: “I was just having a kick around with my Mum and Dad and my brothers in the park and Rob came down there and introduced himself. He’d seen me from a distance and invited me to come down to the Club for a few training sessions. He was working with the Youth Phase at the time. It’s just gone from there and I continued to progress.
“I always played a year up in the Academy and Rob was my coach from the under-9s through to the under-15s, so I spent six or seven years working with him, until he stepped up to the first team when I was around 16. A few years down the line, it’s good that I shared being a part of the same first-team squad with Rob as a coach again.
“I think it just shows within the Club how connected everyone is and how there is a clear and obvious pathway that both of us were able to progress.”
Morgs got an initial, brief taste of men’s football, with Combined Counties neighbours Colliers Wood United last season, but he really kicked on towards our first team this campaign with successful loan spells - first at Corinthian-Casuals and then Eastbourne Borough.
“I’ve ended this season with something like 23 goals and around 16 assists, so as a midfielder that’s great stats to be hitting,” said Morgan.
“For me, on a personal note, it was good to get out on loan and prove that I can step up to the men’s level. To finish off the season, making my professional debut, I can now use that as an incentive to push on.
“You look at the FA Youth Cup as an 18-year-old and it was a competition we wanted to do well in. It was a shame to be knocked out by Leeds, but I think we pushed them, and we had some good performances during that run.
“We finished second in the Youth Alliance South East and just lost out to a decent Luton side, so that was another good season with the Academy, having won the league the year before.”
In stark contrast to the Welsh under-19 international making his debut at Grimsby, it was the end of team-mate Chris Gunter’s playing career - the second most-capped player for Wales retiring after the final whistle.
“That was amazing to have that brief time on the pitch with him wearing the captain’s arm band,” added Morgs. “I’ve watched Gunts on television for years, so stepping out onto the pitch alongside him was a dream come true. It was an honour and it serves as an inspiration to me to follow in his footsteps.”
Photos: Ian Stephen (Pro Sports Images).