Harry Pell has revealed that his move to Eastleigh is a bittersweet affair.

The former AFC Wimbledon midfielder signed for the Conference Premier outfit earlier this week after growing frustrated at his lack of game time at the League 2 club.

The 23-year-old has made only 12 appearances for the Dons this season, including only two starts, and was loaned out to Eastleigh’s Conference Premier rivals Grimsby Town in November.

Pell did not want to leave the Dons, saying: “I felt I still had something to give Wimbledon.

“I was pestering the gaffer, constantly telling him ‘I feel I should be playing, I want to play’.

“He was honest with me. He signed Jake [Reeves] and said that’s the way he wanted to go.

“As a player, you can either sit there and feel sorry for yourself, or you can pick yourself up and do what’s best for yourself and your family.

“I felt I need to do that, but I did not want to leave.

“Neal (Ardley, Dons boss) did not make me go.

“He said he wanted me in the squad, but I am sure he was getting a headache from my demands to play.”

Pell added: “The move was a drawn out affair, I’d been speaking to Eastleigh for some time.”

Pell was hoping to make his Spitfires debut in this afternoon’s Conference game at Kidderminster.

It promised to be a much lower key game than his last senior outing – as a late sub for AFC Wimbledon in their live televised FA Cup tie with Liverpool earlier this month.

Pell was a regular in the Dons line-up last season, making 27 League 2 starts plus six off the bench.

One of his team-mates for most of those games was Jack Midson, who moved to Eastleigh last summer.