ONE TOUCH SUMMARY
- Steven Sessegnon is currently rebuilding his football career at AFC Wimbledon.
- Ryan and Steven Sessegnon walked out of Craven Cottage together last month.
- The Sessegnon twins held their daughters while leaving the stadium side by side.
ONE TOUCH INSIGHT
Steven Sessegnon’s walk out of Craven Cottage holding his daughter last month was not just a nostalgic photo with his twin Ryan; it signalled that the younger Sessegnon is intent on being judged on his own merits, not as Ryan’s shadow.
At AFC Wimbledon he is fighting for regular minutes as a left‑back/wing‑back in League Two, a level where consistency outweighs the flash that accompanied Ryan’s early Premier League bursts. Every start there is a chance to carve out a defensive identity built on positioning and recovery pace, attributes the twins share but Steven must now prove independently.
A clear marker of his progress will be whether he is named in Wimbledon’s squad for their next League Two match; selection would show the trust of the manager and give him a platform to stake his claim beyond the family name.
WHY IT MATTERS
The story highlights the divergent paths of identical twins, contrasting Ryan's high-profile move with Steven's grassroots rebuilding effort. It underscores the human element behind football transfers, showing family bonds surviving professional separation and career divergence.
TACTICAL FIT
Steven Sessegnon’s move to AFC Wimbledon represents a strategic shift toward lower-league stability and development. It allows him to rebuild his profile away from the intense scrutiny of the Premier League, focusing on consistent performance in a different competitive environment.
THE DEBATE
Is rebuilding at a lower league the right path for a top-flight talent?
Exclusive
Steven Sessegnon exclusive: The twin brother of Fulham's Ryan rebuilding at AFC Wimbledon after 'tough' period at Wigan
Steven Sessegnon discusses his 'tough' time at Wigan, returning to his roots to join AFC Wimbledon in the summer, the moment he faced his twin brother Ryan for the first time and more; watch Cambridge vs AFC Wimbledon live on Sky Sports+ on Saturday; kick-off 3pm
Dan Long Football Journalist @DanLong__
Tuesday 22 September 2026 14:20, UK
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.
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In any of the previous three seasons, a game like this 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.
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.
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"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."
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, 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.
Image:Sessegnon signed a two-year deal at AFC Wimbledon in June
"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, where 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.
Image:The 26-year-old made only 20 League One starts across the last two seasons at Wigan
"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."
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'," he recalls.
"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."
Sessegnon's first Dons appearance came on August 8 against Newport in the Carabao Cup, almost six months after his last competitive game for Wigan. He looks in genuine disbelief when he hears that.
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Highlights of the Sky Bet League One match between Bromley and AFC Wimbledon
His full league debut came 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.
"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, with five clean sheets from seven games so far - the joint-most in the Sky Bet EFL.
They are four points behind leaders Bradford going into Saturday's trip to Cambridge - which is live on Sky Sports+ - despite having only scored five goals so far.
Cambridge United AFC Wimbledon
Saturday 26th September 2:50pm Kick off 3:00pm
That said, 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.
Watch Cambridge vs AFC Wimbledon live on Sky Sports+ on Saturday; kick-off 3pm.
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AI-assisted · generated from Sky Sports reporting, not editor reviewed
