Terry Brown has launched a scathing attack on agents after Brendan Kiernan submitted a transfer request at AFC Wimbledon.

The young striker only signed a two-and-a-half-year contract in January but has become frustrated at a lack of first team chances despite being set to play a bigger role next season.

Wimbledon rejected the request but 19-year-old Kiernan is adamant he wants to leave, leaving Brown lamenting third-party involvement.

“He has obviously been tapped up by someone otherwise why would he be so desperate to leave?” he said.

“Next season, I am going to have to work with a much smaller squad and he has a chance to play in the Football League and whoever has got in his ear I do not think is doing him any favours footballwise.

“But, if it is a money issue, then it is a money issue.

“He is very much involved in our plans and the situation with my squad dictates the youngsters will get an opportunity to play in League Two.

“If you are a youngster at Tottenham or West Ham you will never get a sniff of League Two football.

“If you end up playing reserve football somewhere else that is never as good as League football.

“The boys that get the chance to progress with the smaller clubs should not throw that away.

“We have agents swarming all over us and their job is to try and sign the boys and they do that by saying they will get them more money at better clubs.

“Maybe we need to educate out boys a little better as in the end the agents have to convince the young boys to get them on their books.

“I am all about encouraging people and getting the best out of them but you have got to get in someone’s first team before you start thinking bigger – some of these boys have not done anything yet.”

Brown continued his cull of players this week with long-serving right back Sam Hatton, who has been with the club for five years, the 14th player to be released this summer.

“It was probably one of the most difficult decisions to make, there are always marginal ones along the way,” added Brown.

“We have to look at what is out there for comparable money and make decisions based on that.

“We are having ongoing talks with a number of players but we are a bit off signing.

“We are talking to right backs, left backs, centre-halfs and centre midfielders – we are OK for strikers, we scored enough.”