AFC Wimbledon boss Neal Ardley has admitted he could easily "curl up and die" after an exhausting season.

It has been a second tough term in League Two with the Dons finishing just three points above the trapdoor to Conference football.

And after the final weekend's defeat at Accrington Stanley, Ardley had the task of the summer clear-out and he spent yesterday (Thursday) delivering the bad news to eight players.

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After his first season in charge, Ardley admitted to not taking a break and that it affected his pre-season spirit.

However, this time around he is desperate to learn from that mistake and find a better work/life balance over the summer.

He said: "Part of me want’s to curl up and die – it has been tough and I am washed out.

"After the euphoria of the final game last season, I threw myself into everything to make the team better this time round and I never really took a break. In the end I came back to pre-season absolutely washed out.

"So I want to learn from that, but I also know I have a lot of work to do if we’re going to start next season with a team capable of doing what we want, otherwise I’ll have an enforced long summer during the season."

He added: "It’s a case of getting the balance right. I’ll try to have a bit of me time, but it is not going to be easy."