Former Tottenham youngster admits to early frustrations at AFC Wimbledon
BY EDMUND BRACK
George Marsh has admitted that it was frustrating not to make an immediate impact at AFC Wimbledon.
The 23-year-old midfielder joined the Dons in the summer from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
Marsh and Luke McCormick, previously on Chelsea’s books, were the two permanent signings set to form the foundations of head coach Mark Robinson’s Dons squad heading into the season.
But Marsh found his pathway to the first team blocked by Anthony Hartigan and Alex Woodyard’s formidable partnership – earning praise from Robinson as the most influential players in their roles in League One.
Marsh’s first-team chances were also hindered by breaking a bone in his foot which ruled him out for more than a month in October.
But when Hartigan picked up an injury after the 1-0 loss to Milton Keynes in mid-January, Marsh grabbed his chance and has played the full 90 minutes of every league game since – rapidly becoming a fans’ favourite and one of the first names on the teamsheet.
“To start off with, it was a little bit frustrating because I wasn’t playing as much,” Marsh told the South London Press. “But I have learned so much off Robbo since I have been here and been around a different environment.
“I am enjoying it a lot more now because I am playing quite a bit at the minute.
“There is good competition between the boys here, which is good for the team. I got injured as well, which wasn’t ideal, but I am so happy that I am in the team. When I wasn’t playing, I still gave everything in training so that when I did get the opportunity, I could take it.
“It’s been great to finally have been given the opportunity to show a little bit of what I could do – it’s obviously nice to get a run of games under my belt now. Hopefully, it can continue.”
After joining Spurs’ academy in 2015, Marsh worked his way up the ranks as a combative midfielder and caught the attention of Mauricio Pochettino. He captained their U23s several times, showcasing his versatility by playing at centre back or right-back on occasion too.
Pochettino handed Marsh his first-team debut when he replaced Son Heung-Min for the final 25 minutes in the 7-0 FA Cup third-round win at Tranmere Rovers in 2019.
“After being at Tottenham for so many years, the end goal was always to play for the first team,” said Marsh.
“Doing that was a proud moment for my family and me.
“All the work that my family put into me over the years – driving me back and forth from football – it was nice to see some reward come out from it. I loved playing under Pochettino. I travelled quite a bit with the first team.”
Marsh trained regularly with the world-class talents of Harry Kane, Son and Lucas Moura.
He made the bench twice during the latter stages of the 2018-19 Premier League campaign and flew to Madrid for the Champions League final, a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool.
“You would always pick up little bits as you went along,” said Marsh. “You have got some really experienced international players there. You have to raise your game because the quality of players and coaching is so high, and you have to raise your levels to compete with them.”
When Marsh returned from his season-long loan from then League Two side Leyton Orient – his first spell away from the club in professional football – Jose Mourinho had replaced Pochettino.
Marsh impressed the three-time Premier League winner and featured in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Norwich as football began to play out again after its hiatus due to Covid.
“I only trained with him for a little bit, but it was a good experience to get coaching from another top manager,” said Marsh. “Under Mourinho, it was a lot more tactical and shape work, rather than one-against-ones in training.
“It was different than under Pochettino, but it was another thing that I thoroughly enjoyed.”
Marsh cites Robinson as a pivotal factor in making the Dons his next port of call .
“It was massively difficult to leave Spurs, but you get to a stage where you have been there for so long, and you start to wonder whether you’re going to get a proper chance,” he said.
“It was the right time to move on.
“I learned so many things throughout these different experiences with Tottenham and I want to take them forward into my career now.
“We had a meeting with Robbo [over the summer], and he told me what the plan and projects were for the club – it instantly drew me in.
“Another reason why I wanted to come here was that we have so many young and exciting talents coming through at the club. Hopefully we can do something special here.”
Marsh’s introduction has been a highlight for AFC Wimbledon fans in recent months, with the midfielder’s performances and workrate offering solace despite the Dons being on a 15-game winless run.
“We have had so many draws, and there are positives to take out of that, but we need to start turning them into wins,” said Marsh.
“We know where we’re at, we know what we need to do to correct things, and hopefully we will start winning some games of football.
“We know that we have been drawing too many games, but we know that we’re so close to putting a good run together and winning games of football.
“There is enough experience and know-how from the younger players to know that we can put it right.”
PICTURES: KEITH GILLARD