JOSH NEUFVILLE capped his breakout season with a promotion victory at Wembley, in what proved his last game for the club.
Neufville, the winner of WDSA’s Player of the Season award, ended his two years at Plough Lane to take up a three-year deal with fellow League One rivals Bradford City.
Neufville was successfully transitioned to the right wing-back role under the coaching of Johnnie Jackson and staff and became hot property once his contract expired with the Dons.
“I’ve grown as a player and a person at the club. I’ve got used to what the manager wants from me, and I’ve improved as time as passed,” Neufville said during last season.
His stats from last season make for illuminating reading: he played for a total of 4,335 minutes working out at 88 minutes per appearance. He scored five goals and made five assists.
He excited the fans with his speed down the flanks combined with his excellent first touch. He scored some stunners too — the winning goal he scored against Notts County in the home playoff leg will be long remembered. He deftly brought down the ball with his left foot before intuitively lobbing the goalkeeper with his right into the far corner of the net.
“We tried it last week, with the ball from Joe [Lewis] to me over the defenders, but it didn’t come off. It did today. I think some people were debating that I was crossing it or all that malarkey! It was intended.”
So it came as no great surprise but with some dismay when it was announced Neufville had left to join the Bantams.
“It was going to take a special project and a special club to move me away from Wimbledon,” he said.
No doubt the length of the contract and financial deal helped sway him. Yet no doubt Wimbledon will always hold a special place for Neufville, who announced himself to the football world in his dazzling season with the Dons.
Neufville was a clear-cut winner of the WDSA POTS. He polled 10 maximum votes in his 56-point tally to beat defender Joe Lewis by 16 votes.
Loan goalkeeper Owen Goodman was third. Leading season goalscorer Matty Stevens finished fourth ahead of James Tilley—who has also left the club but for Wycombe Wanderers.
WDSA Player of the Season 2024-25 voting:
56— JOSH NEUFVILLE
40 — Joe Lewis
12 — Owen Goodman
8 — Matty Stevens
7 — James Tilley
5 — Myles Hippolyte
2 — Alistair Smith, Riley Harbottle, Jake Reeves
1 — Ryan Johnson, Isaac Ogundere
PAST WINNERS: 1986-87 JOHN FASHANU; 1987-88 JOHN FASHANU; 1988-89 DENNIS WISE; 1989-90 HANS SEGERS; 1990-91 JOHN FASHANU; 1991-92 ROBBIE EARLE; 1992-93 JOHN SCALES; 1993-94 DEAN HOLDSWORTH; 1994-95 WARREN BARTON; 1995-96 OYVIND LEONHARDSEN; 1996-97 CHRIS PERRY; 1997-98 MICHAEL HUGHES; 1998-99 JASON EUELL; 1999-2000 NEIL SULLIVAN; 2000-01 KELVIN DAVIS; 2001-02 KENNY CUNNINGHAM; 2002-03 KEVIN COOPER (AFCW); 2003-04 MATT EVERARD; 2004-05 RICHARD BUTLER; 2005-06 ANDY LITTLE; 2006-07 ANTONY HOWARD; 2007-08 JASON GOODLIFFE; 2008-09 BEN JUDGE; 2009-10 DANNY KEDWELL; 2010-11 SEB BROWN; 2011-12 JACK MIDSON; 2012-13 JACK MIDSON; 2013-14 BARRY FULLER; 2014-15 JAMES SHEA.; 2015-16 PAUL ROBINSON; 2016-17 TOM ELLIOT; 2017-18 DEJI OSHILAJA; 2018-19 WILL NIGHTINGALE; 2019-20 MARCUS FORSS; 2020-21 JOE PIGOTT; 2021-22 JACK RUDONI; 2022-23 ALI al-HAMADI; 2023-24 OMAR BUGIEL.
