AFC Wimbledon chief executive Erik Samuelson reckons boss Neal Ardley is destined for great things – he just hopes it is with the Dons.

Ardley’s appointment in 2012 was his first as a senior manager, and he pulled off the great escape in his first season at the helm.

Since then the Dons have grown in stature, beating the franchise in their own back yard and giving Liverpool a run for their money in the FA Cup.

Now, after only four years at the helm, Ardley will lead his side out at Wembley for the League Two play-off final, and the eyes of the football world will be watching.

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Samuelson has acknowledged his main man could attract the interest of suitors from higher up the football pyramid, but is hopeful Ardley is not tempted.

He said: “Neal is an exceptional manager, and you have to realise he was in his first year in charge when he saved us from relegation.

“Anybody who works closely with him can see he is a very fine manager who will go a long way, and it would be lovely if he went a long way with us.”

Ardley is on a rolling contract that has a 12-month notice period, and Samuelson does believe in the multi-year contracts dished out at other clubs.

He said: “You read about managers who have been a contract of three, five or eight years.

“The LMA standard contract talks about 12 months’ notice – so all those on multi-year contracts they are probably on a year’s notice.

“So Neal is with us until he is not. When he’s not, that will be because he chooses to leave, and we’ll get compensation, or we will ask him to leave and he will get compensation.”

He added: “But Neal is very happy with us and we’re very happy with him, and we have been since day one.

“It is my ambition that we do this together, rather than wave him goodbye when he goes to a higher level club.”