‘I wasn’t even feeling that great that day – I think I was coming down with the flu,’ AFC Wimbledon star Aron Sasu tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘It just felt like a normal game, but obviously it was really enjoyable.’
Sasu, 20, is remembering the standout night of his career so far. It was at the start of December, when he scored four goals as the Dons shocked League One leaders Cardiff City 5-1 away from home in the last 32 of the Vertu Trophy.
‘Days like that are great,’ says Sasu. ‘You wish you could have that every week, but it doesn’t work like that.’
The achievements of Sasu, who joined the Dons’ academy aged 10, were even more remarkable given his sole professional goal up to that point had come nearly two years prior. He became the first Wimbledon academy graduate to score a senior hat-trick in the process.
Despite his tender age, Sasu has already racked up 78 appearances for his boyhood club, thanks in no small part to his extraordinary versatility.
Having made his debut aged 16 in 2021, Sasu has been a regular member of the squad over the past three seasons. In that time, he has featured as a wing-back, on the wing, as a No 10, and up front, where he played at Cardiff. Striker is where Sasu feels most at home, a view echoed by Dons boss Johnnie Jackson.
AFC Wimbledon’s homegrown talent Aron Sasu is making a name for himself thanks to his remarkable versatility
Deployed as a striker, Sasu scored four goals in a shock 5-1 thrashing away at Cardiff in the Vertu Trophy in December
Sasu was part of the Dons team promoted from League Two through the play-offs last season
Sasu was part of the Wimbledon team promoted from League Two last season and has played 19 times in 2025-26, although his progress has been hampered by a few niggling injuries.
Jackson’s side started the season superbly, and in mid-October they were just one point off the top of the table after eight wins in their first 13 games. They then picked up just three points in nine matches before a welcome 3-1 win at Leyton Orient on New Year’s Day, although that was followed by a defeat at Wycombe.
Nevertheless, in a tightly-packed League One, Wimbledon are 13th, eight points adrift of the play-offs and four clear of the relegation zone.
‘We’re in a higher division now so it’s new to a lot of us,’ adds Sasu, who signed his first professional contract in 2023. ‘We had a good start and now we’re in a rougher patch. Although we’d like to have the same expectations as last year where it was about being at the top, it’s tougher opposition and there are going to be periods of struggle. We’ve just got to find a way out of it.’
Meanwhile, the reward for Sasu’s exploits at Cardiff is a home game against West Ham Under 21s in the Vertu Trophy last 16 on Monday.
The competition has an intriguing place in the EFL ecosystem, mainly used by teams to give younger and fringe players opportunities during the early rounds, yet there is the carrot of a Wembley final at the end of it.
Sasu has a good history with the EFL Trophy, making his debut in it as a 16-year-old in 2021, while all five of his career goals have come in the tournament, demonstrating the platform it gives young players.
Last season, nearly 50 per cent of players in matchday squads for the EFL Trophy were 21 or under – and 136 debuts were handed out. The presence of Premier League Under-21 teams has been a bone of contention, yet 17 of the 24 members of England’s squad from the November international break had played in the competition, with Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers among the stars to have made their professional debuts in it.
Sasu (pictured in 2024) made his debut for the Dons at the age of 16, also in the Vertu Trophy
Sasu after coming off the bench in the play-off final win against Walsall at Wembley in May
And Sasu, who comes across as a humble personality, is well aware of how it has helped his own progression.
‘Coming into the first team at Wimbledon, there’s not an Under 21s side or that bridge to the first team,’ he explains. ‘You either go on loan or if you stick around the opportunities can be limited. The tournament is a good chance to get first team minutes – and it’s an opportunity to win something as well because you’re only a few rounds from a game at Wembley.’
Multiple Dons youngsters have featured in the Vertu Trophy this season, including Kai Jennings and Junior Nkeng, and they have an impressive record of producing their own. Academy alumni include Jack Rudoni, Ayoub Assal and Jack Currie, while Isaac Ogundere has made almost 150 appearances for the first team after coming through the ranks.
Crucial to Sasu’s development and several of his peers has been Jackson, who became manager in May 2022.
‘The gaffer and the coaching staff have been massive for me and I’m grateful for their trust,’ he says. ‘He’s a really good manager and he’s given me a platform in men’s football.’
Jackson’s tenure has been characterised by gradual growth, and after leading the Dons to 21st in League Two his first season, they came 10th in 2023-24 before going up via the play-offs after a fifth-place finish last season.
Jackson helped stabilise the club having taken over in the aftermath of relegation from League One three-and-a-half-years ago, and he has created a strong mentality among the squad while re-energising supporters, traits Sasu feels were key for their promotion.
‘We were together through everything and had a really tight group,’ he explains. ‘That makes a difference because it’s like you’re playing with friends. Going into the play-offs too, there was belief. There was never any doubt of “what if things don’t go well”, it was a feeling of “things will go our way” and there was real positivity coming in every day.’
Sasu is full of praise for Dons boss Johnnie Jackson for improving both him and the team
Wimbledon currently sit 13th in League One despite a poor run of form in recent weeks
Sasu had been in the crowd when Wimbledon won the League Two play-off final back in 2016
Sasu admits the play-off final victory over Walsall was something of a full circle moment, given nine years prior he had watched Wimbledon win that game when he was preparing to join the academy aged 10.
‘To be there and part of the squad at Wembley felt surreal,’ adds the 20-year-old, who admits the Dons made sure to celebrate their achievement that night. ‘If you said five or six years ago when I was trying to push for my scholarship that I’d be part of the squad to get promoted, I’d have been amazed. You need to cherish those incredible moments.’
Sasu is full of praise for the dressing room at Wimbledon, which includes youngsters like himself and more experienced players such as captain Jake Reeves, Omar Bugiel and Myles Hippolyte, who scored the winner in the play-off final. He believes this has been important in keeping everyone positive during their recent run.
Since the club’s formation in 2002, Wimbledon – whose story is well-documented – have never finished higher than 15th in League One, which came during a six-season stint in the third tier. Although they lost key players Josh Neufville and James Tilley in the summer, coupled with their winter struggles, it is within their grasp to outperform that this season.
Jackson, who signed a new deal until 2027 in October, has helped the Dons deal with the step up but they are battling in a division littered with several big-spending former Premier League sides, and they face challenges with their fan-owned model. Earlier this season the club admitted their current structure is unsustainable for competing in the EFL – and revealed they were in talks with investors over a minority stake.
Yet, despite the off-field battles, Sasu sees no reason to tone down ambitions.
‘If we come higher than 15th it would be the best finish the club has had since AFC Wimbledon was formed so that’s something to be aiming for,’ he concludes. ‘But as a group our expectations are higher than that.
‘If we finished 14th, I don’t think anyone would be overjoyed because what we showed at the start is the expectation we have among ourselves.
‘It’s easier said than done and it’s going to take a lot for us to be up that table, but we believe we can do that.’
