Lewis Taylor is fired up to repay Terry Brown for his patience when AFC Wimbledon get down to Blue Square Premier business next month.

Taylor was viewed as one of the Dons key signings when Brown brought him back to Kingsmeadow from Horsham last summer, only for the creative midfielder to suffer a serious knee injury in a pre-season game and miss virtually the entire campaign.

And the 22-year-old admits he is grateful for not being thrown on the football scrapheap.

Taylor said: “I cannot thank everybody at the club enough for sticking by me when I was injured.

“Terry and Stuart could easily have put me to one side, but they kept me involved and it was great to play in a couple of games at the end of last season.

“Last year was incredibly frustrating - I cannot put into words how hard it was - but now I cannot wait to get out there and show everybody they were right to bring me here.

“We have moved up a level and I am really excited about proving myself in the Blue Square Premier.”

Taylor’s role was taken by Tom Davis for the bulk of the last campaign, but Davis has since been cut loose with Steven Gregory, Ricky Wellard and Derek Duncan bought in to swell the midfield ranks.

But rather than shy from the challenge, Taylor is relishing the competition.

He added: “It is much better to be in a situation like that as it brings out the best in you.

“Without competition for places you just drift along as there is no challenge, but this season we know that every one of us is playing for their shirt week in, week out.”

With pre-season in full swing, Taylor is chomping at the bit to strut his stuff in Dons colours again, having enjoyed a short lived stint with Wimbledon in 2003/4 before being offloaded to Whyteleafe.

And he insists the Dons have nothing to fear in the coming season.

Taylor added: “Everyone is feeling confident and why not - AFC Wimbledon are a massive club.

“As long as we get off to a good start I think we will do really well, and surprise a lot of people.”