POSITIVE MEADES LOOKS TO THE FUTURE
JON Meades has spoken about his decision to retire from football at the age of 26.
The Welsh left-back says he has no regret or anger after deciding to hang up his boots in August after a troubled pre-season with AFC Wimbledon.
A long-standing ankle problem flared up during the Dons’ pre-season and that marked the final straw.
The former Wales Under-21 international said: “I’m still very young and was hoping to have another 10 years in the game if I could but it wasn’t meant to be.
“But there are no regrets – I’m not that type of person anyway.
“Sometimes, I feel like injuries played a big part, which is unfortunate, but there are people who are worse off than me. I’ve loved it and football has given me so much.”
Meades’ playing career may have only been short but he got to experience a lot in his time.
“I’ve had so many amazing moments,” said the former Cardiff and Bournemouth man.
“I got a promotion under my belt at Wembley (with Wimbledon in 2016), I’ve played abroad (with Moss MK in Norway), had some really good clubs and met a lot of amazing people.
“I’m not saying I wasn’t devastated to stop playing but it gives me a chance to try something brand new at a young age.
“It was extremely emotional. I tried to mask things as much as I could in case I couldn’t get through it.
“I didn’t want to show signs I was struggling. It’s all I’ve known since the age of 15 but this was the right decision.”
The Welshman almost immediately turned to coaching, and now forms a part of Wimbledon’s academy coaching team, and is currently working towards his UEFA B licence.