Isaac Ogundere’s determination to never give up was demonstrated in abundance by his running prowess as a teenager – and he’s certainly had to overcome plenty of hurdles to hit the heights as a professional footballer.
When the 21-year-old Dons academy graduate walked out at Stamford Bridge earlier this season, there was a huge sense of pride for Isaac, particularly after being released by Brentford and unsuccessful trial spells with Barnet, Watford, Leyton Orient, and Fulham.
Strength of character was instilled in Isaac from an early age, starting with representing Harrow borough in Athletics, and in more recent years when he successfully came through a gruelling test of character staged by our Academy – winning the Richmond Park Run.
In case you missed it in Saturday's matchday programme, take a look below at the full interview with Isaac, who talked about the challenges faced in his career and his motivations to give his all for the Dons after recently passing the half century for Wimbledon appearances.
Do you think that coming through our Academy provided a real platform for you to become a footballer?
100 per cent. Academies nowadays – especially ones higher up – feature a lot of Under-23s football, but I really benefited from the approach at our Academy of prioritising loans at a young age. Going out on loan really benefited me, so that I was ready to take my chance at first-team level when that opportunity arose.
All the boys who came through the Academy together are a tight-knit group. I class them as some of my best friends – Jack, Hus, Aron Sasu, PK. We know what to expect from each other and we know the Club inside out. It’s good to have those players around you.
It’s a real priority at our Academy to highlight AFC Wimbledon’s unique story to new recruits. Did that increase your passion to play for the Club?
Yes, because you can identify with the Club’s passion and what AFC Wimbledon stands for – it drives me on to give my all. When I was coming through the Academy it was instilled in me. We were encouraged to read about the history and to know everything about the Club, so that we had that real connection with what was achieved and we could pass that on to anyone who asked us about it. I knew the full story of Wimbledon when I was coming through and what it meant to play for the Club.
The stadium is a part of the story, but the story itself should be the reason you’re playing for Wimbledon anyway. To help the Club play as high as possible in English football is the most important thing.
The first time I watched a game after joining Wimbledon was the FA Cup match at Kingsmeadow when we knocked out West Ham. I witnessed the passion of our fans on that night and it made me feel that our club was capable of achieving anything - especially after beating a Premier League club.
You had loan spells with Leatherhead, Potters Bar, and Dartford. Did those experiences really help you develop as a player?
The spell at Leatherhead was probably the toughest spell of my career. I had six different managers and after the first one left it was effectively like being back on trial. Even though I was a professional footballer, I had to prove myself again. It really built up my mental strength and those experiences still help me through tough times now.
My second loan with Sammy Moore at Potters Bar was of great benefit because I played every week for a manager who trusted me. I loved every single minute of my time there because I was playing regularly and we were getting positive results. When I first joined them we were 21st, but we finished in the top half and almost reached the play-offs. That spell really helped me as it was just before the gaffer came in and it put me in good stead to show what I could do - to stake a claim for playing first-team football at Wimbledon.
Sammy knew what a Wimbledon player would be like and I had progressed through the Academy, so he showed faith in me and that meant a lot after I had not been playing every week at Leatherhead.
Who have been the key coaching influences in your career?
The gaffer, Skivo, Rob Tuvey, James Oliver-Pearce (former Academy coach, now at Reading), and Jack Matthews (Academy Head of Coaching). Robbo also helped me, but I didn’t work with him as much as the lads a bit older than me – including Hus and JC.
I worked a lot with Rob and James, but I also must give a special mention to Jack. When the loanees were not training with the first-team he would be the one taking our sessions – six or seven of us as first year pros would be working with him every day. He helped us a lot when we were preparing for our games on loan. I am also very thankful to the gaffer and Skivo for giving me first-team opportunities.
The manager has shown the young lads that when you get the shirt you will keep it if you keep performing and playing well – he doesn’t care who plays. Those playing well and performing will be in the team – the message is that it doesn’t matter what age you are.
How did you first get started in football?
I played for my local team Ruislip Rangers from Under-7s until Under-9s. We played against Brentford Academy in a showcase game and after that my parents were asked if I would go on and train there. I ended up signing for Brentford and it was an exciting time in my life. It was a good confidence booster at that age because it recognised that I had the talent to progress as a footballer.
I was there from Under-9s until Under-12s. I actually got released before the Brentford Academy closed down. That was a very tough time for me. I had two or three years of trials at clubs and during that time I was playing Sunday League football. I lost my confidence and I had to work hard to show that I was worth another opportunity.
What clubs did you have trials with?
Barnet, Watford, Leyton Orient, and Fulham. When you go from playing at an academy to being released as a young boy your confidence gets knocked a bit, so to come back from that was good. My Mum and Dad always put me first, taking me everywhere to games, so I’m very grateful to them for giving me the chance to become a professional footballer.
How did you come to the attention of Wimbledon?
I played for Hayes & Yeading Under-18s in a Senior Cup match against Camberley, I was playing two or three years above my age group so I had progressed well, and Rob Tuvey and James Oliver-Pearce were watching. Ben Fosuhene (our Head of Academy Talent ID) contacted Colin Brown, who knew me at Brentford, and I was invited to a trial for the Under-16s. I was on trial from November until about March and it was a very busy time with all the travelling and studying for my GCSEs.
I was brought up around the Harrow, Uxbridge area, so it was quite a journey to get here whilst also trying to fit in revising for my exams. I wouldn’t say I was anything special at my studies – I put a lot of hard work in at the end to get average grades!
As a young professional footballer, what would your advice be to anyone aiming to follow in your footsteps?
My advice is that it’s never too late, but you have to make certain sacrifices. You don’t necessarily have to be with an Academy from the age of 12 or 13 to make it as a footballer. If you keep working hard the opportunity can come a bit later on, so it shows that you shouldn’t give up.
I had to travel for an hour and a half to two hours on the train or the bus, going straight from school to training, so I would revise on the way. I would get back at around 10.30 pm at night and go straight to bed, so it was a busy time and it was tough, but it all worked out for me.
What do you think you would be doing if you were not a footballer?
I don’t know, maybe something to do with construction. I used to be good at Design & Technology, so maybe something in that field, but I’m not sure.
Are you into any other sports and did you pursue any of them seriously when you were growing up?
I like Golf and Tennis and when I was younger I represented my borough Harrow in the 800 metres and in cross country. I participated in London Schools and county events. I think I could get around 2:08 for the 800 metres when I was a lot younger.
I feel that my strength now is getting up and down the pitch, being energetic, and being able to keep going with my stamina and running ability.
I’ve always been a right-back, but over the years I’ve played in all the positions across the back four. At Under-18s when we had no centre-back I would play there, and Rob Tuvey would trust me to play anywhere in defence, which was good.
Your debut came in a Carabao Cup tie at home to Gillingham. What do you remember about that and your first-team breakthrough?
I remember having a good pre-season and actually thinking, ‘I’m going to play here’ because it had gone really well. We lost that game versus Gillingham, but I think I showed what I was about and it earned my first league start at Bradford. It was disappointing that we conceded late in a 2-2 draw, but it gave me that platform to really go on and progress in my career.
What would you say is the highlight of your career so far?
Playing at Chelsea earlier this season. It meant a lot because I had friends at the game who supported Chelsea and my family were watching on the night. I grew up as an Arsenal fan, but I wasn’t even bothered about playing against certain players – it was more about playing in front of over 40,000 people and what the occasion meant to the Club.
You played in the FA Youth Cup at an empty stadium during Covid, so what does it mean now to be playing every other week at a packed Plough Lane?
When you are playing here and it’s full for every home game it makes you work even harder to put on a show for the fans – they are the ones who spend their money every week and helped to build the stadium. We want to be the Wimbledon team that they’ve wanted for all of those years. In recent years there have not been to many happy times on the pitch that they can look back on, so now it’s about being a proper Wimbledon side and being a team that can make them proud.
