'It was tough. Very, very tough': Steven Sessegnon opens up on Wigan misery, twin brother Ryan and his AFC Wimbledon rebuild

Steven and Ryan Sessegnon walked out at Craven Cottage side by side, each holding their daughters, last month. The twins had made their way through Fulham's academy together and played in the first team together on a handful of occasions — but that night, they played against one another for the first time ever. It was a special moment; a full-circle moment.

In any of the previous three seasons, a game like that would have been a perfect chance for a family reunion, as Steven had been living in Manchester for three years while playing for Wigan. But now he's back home. And not just 'home' in terms of being back in south-west London — properly back home.

Back where it all began

He points ahead as he speaks to Sky Sports on a terrace at the Dons' training ground in New Malden: "We used to play academy games literally across this grass." He points to the left: "I spent time at Coombe Boys School, which is five minutes up the road."

Fulham's Motspur Park training ground is six minutes' drive away. There, his nephew Kayden is part of the U18 squad. "It's really wholesome to be back," says Sessegnon. "It helps massively being around family.

"I get to see my older brothers, my nieces, my nephews and I see my brother [Ryan] a few times a week. We play at two different levels, so there isn't too much to speak about as if we were in the same league, but we catch up on life, being dads, being providers, being men in our families and what the future looks like."

The 'tough' Wigan years

Sessegnon's return home has come at an important point in his career. In his first season at Wigan in 2023/24, he played 29 games in all competitions. In his second, he suffered calf and knee injuries, before not playing again from January 4, 2025. At the start of his third campaign, Gary Caldwell — who had replaced Ryan Lowe in February 2025 — placed him on the transfer list.

"Things happen fast in football," Sessegnon says. "When I was put on the transfer list, I was told I wasn't going to play and I didn't go on the pre-season trip — but I ended up starting the first game of the season through injuries or lack of availability, and I thought I did well.

"It's fair game, it's part of it. The manager came in, the club wanted to go in a different direction. As long as everyone can come out of it happy and people can move onto clubs they know they can do well at, there's no problem with it."

A move away did not materialise, so on the few occasions Caldwell did select him, he was deployed at centre-back — a position he had never played before.

"It was tough. Very, very tough. I felt like I could contribute to a team, but didn't really have the trust or belief behind me to do it. But as much as I could say I didn't have the proper backing to be in my own position, I was still given a chance to play football. It was down to me and it just never happened.

"There was no issue with anyone else apart from myself. I learned a lot there, a lot I can take with me for the rest of my career. It was a learning curve. The biggest thing was professionalism. Even in the worst stages of when I wasn't playing and I was told I wasn't going to be a part of it, I could still carry myself and be the best possible person.

"I felt I owed it to myself to show people I was still a very good trainer, a very good player and I think that helped me stick around longer than they probably wanted me to."

The call that brought him home

Sessegnon was released by the Latics in the summer and joined AFC Wimbledon on a two-year contract, with the option for a further 12 months, on June 25.

"I was preparing to go on holiday with my family and I got a call. As soon as they said Wimbledon, local, I said 'let's get it sorted'. But it was also about the position I would play, how the gaffer [Johnnie Jackson] set it out. It wasn't complicated. I knew I could come in and, if I could get minutes, I would show my ability."

His first Dons appearance came on August 8 against Newport in the Carabao Cup — almost six months after his last competitive game for Wigan. His full league debut followed on September 7, in a 2-0 Sky Bet League One win over Bromley.

He has had to bide his time, but he understands why: "It's like injuries, you have a bit of anxiousness about getting going again, but I had the pre-season and here at Wimbledon, they looked after me very well. The gaffer has looked after me very well and communicated very well with me. In my head I wanted to start and play as many games as I could, but coming off the bench a few times has probably benefitted me to get to grips with football again."

Keeping it simple — and keeping it solid

"It's probably the simplest football I've played in my career, but the most effective. We're able to create chances, I'm able to get the ball high up the pitch. It's not overthought, and I think it brings the best out of the whole squad and definitely myself. I've enjoyed it so far and it takes the pressure off the whole squad; we know we can create chances, we just have to be solid."

The Dons have certainly been solid. They have kept five clean sheets from seven games so far — the joint-most in the Sky Bet EFL — and sit just four points behind League One leaders Bradford going into Saturday's trip to Cambridge, despite having scored only five goals themselves. They are still among the bookmakers' favourites to be relegated this season.

But now, back on home soil, Sessegnon has the chance to help AFC Wimbledon defy the odds again — just around the corner from where it all began.