‘It’s what I’ve dreamt about since I was a boy’ exclaimed Stewart. He worked his way through the ranks of the Wimbledon academy since being scouted aged ten years of age for the under 11’s. Aged 19, he made his professional debut against Norwich City when he came on at half time which ended in a 1-1 draw. He remembers how he felt as he describes an ‘exciting yet nervous’ experience especially as he had the chance to play alongside the likes of Vinnie jones, and Lawrie Sanchez who as any football fan may know scored the winning goal at the FA cup final in 1988.

However Stewart picked up a major injury in a pre-season match a couple years into his career and had to undergo surgery which then meant he was out of football for about a season.  This led to Stewart explaining how the physio (Steve Allan) became his inspiration and described him as a ‘mentor’.

‘Steve was my inspiration and really motivated me during this tough period in my early career’. 

This showed that the back room staff behind the team are valued more than one would expect which helped the players to achieve the success.

Stewart Castledine was aged 21 when he made his first full professional debut when he came back from injury. To his delight he scored a goal which he described as ‘one of his great achievements’ in his Wimbledon career. Stewart gave a behind the scene insight of what the team was like on and off the pitch.

‘Robbie Earle has got to be the best player I’ve ever played with. His consistency on the pitch, along with his strength and fitness made him the player he was. I admired him and appreciated his talent as we played in the same position.’

 The Crazy Gang was the team on everyone’s lips, as Stewart explains,

‘They had a small fan base and were a small club but alongside them came a big team spirit and furthermore there was a fantastic relationship within the dressing room with an array of pranks which led to great bonds’. This helped Wimbledon create the success they achieved.  

Wimbledon FC were known for their strength and brutality making them a hard team to play against.

‘I would always put in a big challenge against my first opponent so I could let them know I was there and that you were up for the game.’

There was lots of competition amongst the squad so you had to learn to handle the pressure especially when playing against world class players such as Eric Cantona, Patrick Vieira and Emanuel Petit (both Vieira and Petit won a world cup).

Lastly Stewart commented that as ever there are many young footballers coming through the ranks but if you aren’t up to the mark then you wouldn’t have a contact renewal at the end of the season.  It’s certainly a tough profession and to have success in it at a professional level is to be admired.  Castledine managed this and proved this worth to Wimbledon FC.