Despite being a Wanderer, Gareth Ainsworth made it no secret that he would like one of his former clubs to avoid the drop into League Two this season.
The Wycombe boss revealed that he has a close affiliation with AFC Wimbledon, and praised the club following the 1-1 draw between the two outfits on Easter Monday.
Despite the point, the result succumbed the Dons to their 25th consecutive league match without a win (26 in all competitions) as they remain two places and four points off safety.
Gareth Ainsworth: “We’ve done enough to win the game. But Wimbledon are fighting for their lives and gave everything. I had to tear in to our boys at half-time and make sure they were ready to scrap. We had some good chances but credit to Wimbledon.”#AFCWvWYC
— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) April 18, 2022
READ MORE: 'They know they are good players' - Gareth Ainsworth's on Wycombe's 'expectations'
And Ainsworth, who played for the original club between 1998 and 2003, sincerely wishes his best for the South London outfit.
In total, he played 45 times across five seasons where he scored seven goals
Two of those strikes came in a Premier League match against Newcastle United in August 1999, which were his only goals as a top-flight player.
#OnThisDay in 1999: @NUFC 3-3 Wimbledon.
— On This Day in the Premier League (@OTD_PL) August 21, 2021
Gareth Ainsworth scored a second half brace which included a 90th minute equaliser, as Wimbledon rescued a point against Newcastle. #AFCW 🔵🟡 pic.twitter.com/qSaXEceucN
He said: “They just need to turn some of those draws into wins.
“They are my ex-club and they are still in the hunt to avoid the drop and hopefully they’ll stay up.
“I want to credit Wimbledon.
“I played for the club, and I don’t want to see them go out of the league.
“It’s still in their hands and hopefully they’ll stay up.
“Wimbledon deserved to get something out of the game and I loved the way they got behind the team."
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