AFC Wimbledon have confirmed on their official club website that Shane McLoughlin’s stay has been extended, triggering an option to keep him at the club until the end of next season.
Ipswich Town let Shane McLoughlin go in the January transfer window of 2019. AFC Wimbledon pounced to bring him in on a free transfer and now, it has been confirmed that he will be extending his stay with the Dons once again.
McLoughlin’s contract was set to expire this summer but the club have moved to trigger an option in his contract which will see him stay with Wimbledon until the summer of 2021.
Upon the announcement, Wimbledon manager Glyn Hodges commented on the extension. Speaking to the club’s official website, he praised McLoughlin for his versatility, saying:
“Shane can play in midfield, but also at wing-back and I thought he was terrific when he played there last season. He really grew into the role. We are not going to have as big a squad for next season, so it’s important that we have players that can play in different positions.
“Shane can play in a number of positions, and he’s getting better and better. He’s still young and hungry to keep on improving, so we are delighted we’ve got him. When we switched him to wing-back we knew he was athletic. We wanted to get him in the team, but we had a strong midfield at the time, so when the opportunity arose we thought he adapted to the role well.
“He’s had a good upbringing as a footballer, so he knows how to play, and he has a good football brain. It’s therefore easy for him to adapt to playing in different positions.
“I thought he was really good last season, so I’m looking forward to more of the same next season. He gets on with everyone, he’s a popular member of the squad, and we are looking forward to him kicking on next season.”
With Wimbledon, McLoughlin has played in 37 games across all competitions, scoring two goals in the process. He offers an option on the wing but has impressed at wing-back under Hodges. Now, he will be looking to press on with his future secured.
