AFC Wimbledon's Lyle Taylor claimed this week a football career is too short for 'if only.'

But he admits he is the tiniest bit jealous of his old team-mates at Bournemouth living the high life in the Premiership.

The Dons' striker grew spent two seasons in the same Cherries side as the likes of Simon Francis, Charlie Daniels, Mark Pugh and Harry Arter.

However, while three of that quartet - Arter is currently on the injured list - have taken in trips to Liverpool and West Ham as well as entertaining Aston Villa and Leicester City, Taylor, who was released in 2012, not for the first time, has been starting over again at Kingsmeadow, making less glamorous trips to Carlisle and Crawley.

The 25-year-old Montserrat international remembers his days at Dean Court with affection and believes the Eddie Howe factor can keep them up amongst the big boys long-term.

And while obviously he would love to have been part of that journey, having broken his scoring duck for the Dons in Tuesday's Johnstone's Paint Trophy defeat to Plymouth he is happy to concentrate on establishing himself in Neal Ardley's strike force.

"I played with a good few of those boys like Simon, Charlie, Mark and Harry," he said.

AFC Wimbledon's summer signings in pictures:

"It is crazy to think that that club that three years ago I left the club and from where they were then to where they are now it is magnificent for the club.

"It is Eddie Howe who has done it and anybody who has worked with Eddie will tell you the same. You would do anything for Eddie Howe, he is that kind of manager with that kind of charisma. He spends that amount of time working with his players.

"He was brilliant for me and it was a shame he left and went to Burnley and I didn't get a bit longer to work with him. He has done brilliant for himself and I hope they manage to secure Premier League status for years to come.

"I'd be inhuman if there wasn't a bit of green-eyed monster in me, but that is football."

As if to underline the influence of Howe on Taylor, his fortunes at Dean Court took a turn for the worse during the manager's brief stint away from the south coast at Burnley.

Replacement Lee Bradbury quickly made it clear the Greenwich-born front-man did not feature in his plans and though when he left Taylor was offered hope of a new deal by the next man in the hot-seat Paul Groves, it quickly came to nothing.

That exit sent Taylor north of the border for a successful spell at Falkirk where he scored 24 times in 34 appearances.

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe looks on
Bournemouth boss Eddie: Howe looks on

There were two loan spells at Partick too during stints at first Sheffield United and Scunthorpe from where Dons boss Ardley signed him in the close season.

Taylor believes his adventures since Bournemouth have developed him on and off the field and he is excited about this latest chapter with Wimbledon.

"It was disappointing for me when Eddie left and Lee Bradbury decided he didn't really like me or wasn't going to play me," he added.

"He then left and two managers came in and told me I'd get a new contract, but a week later I'm on holiday and I get a phone call to say we are not going to give you one now.

"It is a harsh world, but by the same token if that had happened "I wouldn't I have met some of the people I've met or experienced some of the things I've experienced and I would not be here today. So I have no regrets at the end of the day.

"I've seen some things up in Scotland from the places I've been and I've learned a lot about myself from living so far and away from home and away from my family and I'm glad I'm here.

"When this opportunity came in the summer I did absolutely everything I could to make it a reality and I want to play for this club. You only have to look at the where this club wants to go and the ambition of everybody behind these doors, so I'd like to be here for years to come."