Brentford loanee aiming to bring goals to the Dons

Nathan Young-Coombes said he wants to bring goals to Johnnie Jackson’s AFC Wimbledon side.

The Versatile forward joined the Dons from Brentford on a season-long loan on the eve of the League Two season.

While Young-Coombes had been handed minutes during the opening two games of the season by Jackson, he made his first start for the South Londoners in Tuesday’s 2-0 EFL Cup defeat to Gillingham.

“It feels great,” he told the South London Press of making his first start for the club.

“The home fans were incredible, and the noise that they were making really pushed us on.

“It was a shame about the result, but the boys left everything out there for them. On another day, we win and go into the next round.”

Despite scoring 34 goals last season for Brentford’s B team, winning their player of the year award and making his Premier League debut for the club during the 3-0 win against Southampton in early May, he isn’t in the mood to celebrate his fledgling achievements in the game.

“It was a surreal experience – you just can’t make it up,” he says of making his senior debut for the Bees when he replaced Mathias Jensen in the 87th minute at the Brentford Community Stadium.

“It was everything I dreamed about as a boy, and it turned into reality. It’s just about backing myself in knowing how far I have come, and this [my loan at Wimbledon] is just another step in my journey.

“The way that Brentford B is set up is unbelievable, it has helped me to get to where I am, but this next step I am on in my journey, this [men’s football], is everything I need.

“It [being at Wimbledon] is competitive – there are fans, and it’s the whole environment I aspire to be in. It’s just about all bringing it together.

“It’s not to undermine what I did last season – it was very good – but what can I do to enhance my football abilities further and see how far I can take it?

“I pat myself on the back for last season, but it isn’t this season. I just have to keep on going.”

The Dons had registered an interest in bringing Young-Coombes down to Plough Lane weeks before he arrived, but the 19-year-old wanted to get himself in the best shape physically and mentally to try and break his way into Johnnie Jackson’s side.

“I just wanted to put my best self in front of the gaffer,” explained Young-Coombes.

“I didn’t want to come here unfit or not in the right frame of mind, so I had to get everything all together and get confidence within myself to present myself to the manager.

“It seems like it is working. I have come on for the past two games and started tonight. I just want to keep knocking on the gaffer’s door to hopefully start some more games.”

Sutton-born Young-Coombes, who has been capped by England at U15 and U17 level, has spent time at an illustrious list of academies as a youngster.

He was at Crystal Palace before Chelsea spotted his potential, and he ended up switching South London for Stamford Bridge. He was also snapped up by Rangers’ academy in 2019.

“Just different styles of play and different environments – to put yourself into awkward situations and to see how you deal with them,” explained Young-Coombes of what he learnt from his time in the different academies.

“I have lived away from home since I was 14 years old, so I have travelled many roads and come across different walks of life and people.

“It’s just about putting it all into one and being the best player I can.”

Young-Coombes added when asked what he hopes to bring to SW19: “Lots of goals – that’s all I strive for.

“Hopefully, [we will] go up. That’s what we’re really focused on – how far we can take this season and how well we can do.

“Alex Pearce and Alex Woodyard, the captain, they’re great. I was a little bit worried about how I would deal with being amongst the older and more experienced players who have been about.

“You’re talking about Pearcy and Lee Brown with hundreds of appearances – it’s a big dressing room with hundreds of caps in a lot of different leagues, so I wasn’t quite sure.

“But they have helped settle me in straight away, and I can’t thank them enough.

“These are a great bunch of boys. I haven’t been in a first-team dressing room quite like this, just with the banter and how good the players are – it’s a real family within our dressing room.

“We push ourselves to different limits and different levels every single day. Everyone has different qualities in different areas, and I am just latching on to the older, senior pros just to know and get better at certain details.”

Picture: Lucy Dixon