Manager on defender’s exit
Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale confirmed that the decision to allow defender Aaron Dawson to leave the club wasn’t one that was taken at all lightly.22-year-old Dawson, who has spent over a decade with the Grecians throughout his time as an Academy player and a pro, came to an agreement with the club to become a free agent and seek first-team football elsewhere.
Dawson played 20 first-team games for the club during four-and-a-half seasons as a pro, and spent loan spells with Tiverton Town, Havant & Waterlooville and most recently with Farnborough.
Tis is hopeful that the decision will prove to work in the favour of both Aaron and Exeter City in the longer run.
“When you consider someone that has been at the club a long time – and by that I mean not just as a professional, but also as an apprentice and a schoolboy in the Centre of Excellence – and committed himself to the club for a long time and given up a lot of hours and been determined to make it, it shouldn’t be considered an easy decision,” Paul explained.
“Nor should you make a decision too quickly. It has been a long time that Aaron has been at Exeter. But there comes a point where it is everyone’s interests – as much for the player as the club – that a player has the opportunity to go and have that new step in their career.
“We considered that this window was the moment for Aaron when we give him the opportunity to further his career somewhere else.
“It’s not easy at all, and it’s not a pleasant side of the job. It happens to a lot of people – I’ve been there myself and I know what it’s like, and it’s the nature of football.
“It is all subjective – that is the beauty of our sport. But you can’t please everyone all of the time – only time will tell whether it’s the best thing for us or for Aaron, and I hope it will be.”