Martin hopes he can emulate Wycombe boss Ainsworth

Russell Martin hopes he can make the transition from player to manager as well as Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth.
Gareht AinsworthGareht Ainsworth
Gareht Ainsworth

The new Dons boss spent four years at Adams Park, but left the club a year before Ainsworth arrived in 2009. Ainsworth went on to take over as manager in 2012, before retiring from the game in 2013.

The pair are no strangers to each other, completing a football management course together. And, speaking ahead of Dons' Leasing.com Trophy encounter with Wycombe on Tuesday night, Martin hopes he can emulate what Ainsworth has achieved in his own managerial career.

He said: "I've got a lot of people I can bounce ideas off, but Gareth was on a course with me on the LMA Diploma studying football management so we had a year studying together. We had loads of chats about football. He's someone I know well, he's a brilliant job at Wycombe.

"He has a style of football, philosophy and a way of doing it. If I can transition as well as he did from player to manager, we'll be alright."