AFC Wimbledon’s latest rising star may have only signed pro forms last week, but he is already thinking of a life beyond football.

Academy product Ben Harrison signed on the Dons dotted line after impressing since coming off the bench to make his first team debut against Southend in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

The 17-year-old went on to start in the League Two clash against Accrington Stanley that followed, and has been as ever present at left back ever since.

Harrison is part of the AFC Wimbledon football academy, a full-time sports and education programme run in partnership between the club and South Thames College, with the aim of achieving a BTEC qualification in sport.

He said: “It’s really good to get a qualification because football’s not forever, and it’s important to have something to fall back on.

“It’s a good course because you can do anything to do with sport once you walk out of the college.

“It opens up so many more doors and means that if I don’t make it in football I’ll still be able to succeed in life.”

Harrison was substituted in Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at Newport County, which featured Adebayo Akinfenwa’s fourth goal in three games as scant consolation, but nothing will take away the memory of making his first start in a Dons shirt.

“Starting against Accrington was a night of mixed emotions because we lost right at the end, so I was a bit disappointed, although I must admit the excitement overwhelmed it.

“Throughout the match I was running on adrenaline. I was still nervous, but it was great – it was a dream come true.”

He added: “I’ve been here since the age of 10 and I hope I can repay the club’s faith in me.

“It’s weird being the youngster in the squad, but the banter has been brilliant and it has been great to be involved in the first-team.”

Academy head of coaching Mark Robinson told Dons Player: “It’s quite emotional for me because I’ve coached him since the age of 10.

“Ben’s progress sums up exactly what the academy is trying to achieve with our ‘home-grown and hungry’ philosophy.”