Henry Lawrence has spoken about the importance that Chelsea coach James Simmonds played in his move to AFC Wimbledon.

Chelsea youngster Lawrence has secured a year-long stay with the League One club for the coming season.

During his first interview with the Wimbledon club website, Lawrence confirmed that Chelsea coach Simmonds, who is on secondment at Wimbledon this season, was a key reason behind his loan switch.

Lawrence said: "All of the coaching staff here have been so good with me. 'Simmo' is here already and I've worked with him for a number of years at Chelsea. It's a key stage in my career. I have been in the Under-23s for the last two years, and now is the right time to go out and play games in men's football.

"I was a midfielder from Under-9s until Under-16s, and then when I moved up to Under-18s that's when I changed to become a right-back. I hadn't really thought about it, but the coaches decided to play me in that position and I did really well there. With my attributes, I think it's the right position for me."