Roker Roundup: “It’s great to feel wanted” - George Dobson pleased after his Wimbledon debut

Dobson discusses Dons debut

Sunderland midfielder George Dobson joined fellow League One team AFC Wimbledon on loan until the end of the season on Friday, and made his debut the next day as a second half substitute during a 1-1 at Crewe Alexandra.

Speaking to the club’s official YouTube channel after the game, Dobson said getting thrown straight in was enjoyable but frantic, and was happy to feel wanted at a new club:

The deal got finalised on Friday and it had to be completed before 12 noon for me to be involved today. I drove down from up north to meet the squad and the manager at the hotel and I had a bit of dinner.

I was straight in and singing, which is the worst thing in football! I have done a few (initiation songs) and you get used to it, but they don’t get any easier!

All the lads were great, it has only been a day, but I am settling in fine. I am looking forward to getting to know them more.

It was frantic, but enjoyable, and to be chucked straight in for the last half hour was what I wanted at a new club. I really enjoyed it as it is great to feel wanted, and I am really looking forward to being a part of the team for the second half of the season.

The 23-year-old also explained how he believes he can help Wimbledon get back to winning ways:

We showed some real good quality (versus Crewe). I watched the game against Sunderland a couple of weeks ago, and it was never a 3-0 game, even the boys at Sunderland were saying that. There are some encouraging signs definitely, there are good players here. I think I can bring some extra quality and get the team back to where they were at the start of the season when they were winning games.

Photo by Chris Donnelly/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Feeney on Carlisle move

Morgan Feeney joined Carlisle United last week, shortly after being released by Sunderland.

The centre-back had a frustrating time at the Stadium of Light, as he was injury hit during his short spell. Then Phil Parkinson left and Lee Johnson came in and switched to a back four. Leaving the 21-year-old further away from the first team, resulting in his departure.

Speaking about his injuries, he says he was just unlucky to pick up unpreventable injuries that hampered his Sunderland spell:

With the types of injuries they were, it’s not something I could have done anything about, it was a little bit unlucky also with the way they came about because they weren’t really preventable injuries at the time. It’s part and parcel of being a footballer, I suppose, and you’ve got to be mentally strong to move on from it.

He has now joined up with Carlisle and he told the News and Star that he was excited that the Cumbrians wanted to sign him, and that they have a project he was happy to join:

I was just very excited to know that a club like Carlisle were interested in me. Once things progressed I was keen to jump at the chance and I’m pleased that we’ve got it done in the end.

I was fortunate enough to have a fair bit of interest but, for me, Carlisle was a club with ambitions similar to mine. When I spoke to David [Holdsworth, director of football] and the manager, it made me realise that this is a project I want to get involved with and I know it’ll be a good place for me to be at the moment.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Gyan on the 3-0 win over Chelsea

Asamoah Gyan has been reliving Sunderland’s fantastic 3-0 win over reigning champions Chelsea back in 2010.

Speaking to Premier League World [via afriquesports], Sunderland’s former record signing says that he told Michael Essian, who missed the game through injury, that he was going to score against his international team-mate’s club.

Gyan went on to say that that the season he had with Sunderland was the best of his career:

I told [Michael] Essien I was going to play and score against Chelsea. He laughed and wished me luck. We dominated them by beating them 3-0. It’s the best season of my career. Everyone was talking about me. Everything I did was working. I would have liked to live a season like that.

Photo by Rebecca Naden/PA Images via Getty Images