Dons can push on this season, says returning Tilley

Returning AFC Wimbledon winger James Tilley says he is fully expecting the team to "push on" this season after avoiding relegation last season. The 27-year-old arrived earlier this week from League One rivals Wycombe Wanderers on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee. Tilley joined Wycombe from Wimbledon in June 2025 after helping the London club win promotion via the League Two play-off final, but returned to the Dons on loan for the second half of the 2025-26 season, helping them retain their third-tier status. "Everyone at the club now is looking to push on and do better than we did last season," he told BBC Radio London. "Obviously it's going to be tough, because when you go up a league, the levels change and you're playing against better players and bigger clubs. "We know when we go into any game, we know we're probably the underdogs, but we believe we're just as good as anybody else when we perform as we know we can." Tilley's first spell at Plough Lane came when he signed in 2023 with the Dons in League Two. He made 13 appearances in his loan spell last season, scoring twice. "In football you find one team where it just feels right, it feels like home, and for me that's Wimbledon," he said. "Me and my family are absolutely buzzing to be back. "When I first signed I was made aware of the club, and learnt what the club was all about - all about playing the Wimbledon way, including the speech from Ivor [Heller, the club's co-founder]. "There are no individuals at all, we're always a collective. Everyone comes together, the fans, the players and the staff." Dons boss Jonnie Jackson described signing Tilley as one of his "top priorities this summer" and Tilley said that is always encouraging to hear as a player. "It just gives you that bit more confidence that you feel wanted, and that's when you play your best football, knowing you've got that full support behind you. "Our togetherness comes from having the right people in the building. During promotion and since then, we've always fought for each other on the pitch." AFC Wimbledon re-sign winger Tilley from Wycombe