'Give us what we need' - Ex-Brighton winger departs Crawley Town to sign for AFC Wimbledon

The Reds have confirmed the permanent transfer of James Tilley to League Two rivals AFC Wimbledon for an undisclosed fee.

Brighton academy starlet Tilley joined the Reds in January 2021 after spells at Cork City, Yeovil Town and Grimsby Town.

The 25-year-old proved a versatile asset for Crawley in his first year at the club, playing in many different positions, including wide midfield and wing-back.

Tilley scored 11 goals in total for the club, including a fabulous free-kick away to Bradford City last season, and a match winner at Barrow during the 2021-22 campaign.

Speaking to the Dons’ website, Tilley said: “I’m very excited to get going after speaking to the club for a little while.

“The stadium is really nice, I’ve played here a couple of times before – I’m looking forward to playing front of our fans.

“I can play anywhere across the frontline. Behind the striker, out on the wing or in attacking midfield.

“It was great to get back into it with the boys today. The manager is ambitious and knows where he wants to take the club – everyone wants to get promoted.”

AFC Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson added: “He’s a really good age and fits the profile of player that we’ve been looking at. He’s hungry to kick on and progress with us. He possesses valuable experience at the level and is someone that we came up against last season.

“I was impressed by what I saw. He has a lovely left foot and is technically very good. He wants to get at people, create and score goals. It’ll give us what we need in the final third.”

The Reds have wished Tilley all the best in his future career and thanked him for his contributions over the last two-and-a-half years.