Exclusive: Winger hoping to extend his AFC Wimbledon contract

BY EDMUND BRACK

AFC Wimbledon winger Courtney Senior wants to extend his stay with the club beyond January.

The Dons signed the South Londoner, 25, as a free agent on a short-term deal on October 1 after Nathan Young-Coombes picked up an injury which looked set to rule him out until December.

Senior’s current deal at Plough Lane expires in January.

“It will be good for me,” Senior told the South London Press when asked whether he wanted to stay with the Dons beyond the end of the calendar year. “I have been out for ages, so I need to get as many games as possible. I need to make sure I carry on trying hard to get into the starting line-up.

“The gaffer hasn’t really told me anything that I need to do [to earn the contract extension]. He’s just told me to be positive and do what I do best. He signed me because he thought I was sharp and could get the ball – something which they didn’t have in the team.

“I have found life here really good – the boys have helped me settle in really well. I’m a local lad, from Croydon, so getting started here has been nice.”

Senior, who was at Crystal Palace for a period as a youngster, came through at Brentford’s academy and made his first-team debut for them as an 18-year-old in their 4-0 League Cup first-round defeat to Oxford.

But when Senior found out that the west Londoners were set to shut their academy in favour of a B team system in 2016, he left as an 18-year-old and went about carving out a career for himself in League Two with Colchester United.

“It was hard – I still had a year left on my deal,” said Senior, who spent five years with Brentford and had felt like he was moving closer to greater first-team opportunities.

“When I left it was mutual consent, but I wasn’t happy that the club was shutting down the academy, so I went on to a new venture.”

He spent five seasons with the U’s, making 145 appearances in all competitions and recorded 26 goal contributions – 12 goals and 14 assists.

Senior joined Newport County on a one-year contract in July 2021. They had agonisingly missed out on promotion to League One after a 1-0 play-off final defeat to Morecambe.

Senior suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] injury during pre-season which prevented him making an appearance.

He said: “When I got the scan results, and they told me that I had done my ACL, I thought: ‘Why me?’

“It’s weird. It happened to me after I left Brentford too. In my first season with Colchester, I did my ACL there as well. It was annoying, but I got over it, got my head down and just battled right through it.

“When you’re injured for a long spell such as that, you’re in the physio room doing the same things every other day, so being out training every single day with Wimbledon feels like a dream come true again.”

Senior made his first start under Jackson in the Salford match. The majority of his appearances since signing have been as an impact substitute off the bench. He sparked the 3-2 comeback win over Harrogate Town when he helped the Dons draw level in the 84th minute, scoring his first goal for the club.

“It’s hard to come on, especially if we’re losing,” said Senior of how he prepares himself to impact a game in short periods.

“I just try and do what I do best – get the ball and drive forward. It was a good moment [to score against Harrogate].

“I had been out for a long time, so it was nice to get a goal.”

Senior has seven games left – including cup competitions – to earn a contract extension with the club before the away game to Sutton United on January 1, 2023.

“I want to stay fit and carry on working hard,” said Senior. “I just want to try to carry on doing the right things and get in the starting line-up.”

PICTURES: KEITH GILLARD