Brentford land AFC Wimbledon goalkeeper Matthew Cox

Matthew Cox has signed for Brentford after AFC Wimbledon agreed a deal with the Premier League new boys.

The Dons had offered the highly-rated keeper, 18, a new three-year contract and were intent on loaning him out to gain first-team experience.

But Brentford have beaten Aston Villa to the signature of Cox, who had less than 12 months to run on his terms.

“We wanted to keep Matt, like we want to keep all our best young talent,” said Dons head coach Mark Robinson.

“He felt that his next stage would be to go to Brentford, which is absolutely fine. It was then about us being rewarded for the hard work we have done with him since he was a young lad.

“We wish him all the best and will be keeping a close eye on his development.

“He can be anything he wants to be, if he remains focused and keeps working hard.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD