Sutton United boss Paul Doswell has told young striker Billy Dunn he needs to buck his ideas up if he is to remain at Gander Green Lane longer than this season.

The 18-year-old burst onto the scene last season scoring 12 goals in 39 first team appearances, while also scoring 16 goals in eight games for the youth team.

He faces a lengthy ban after being sent-off in his side’s 3-1 Surrey Youth League Cup final defeat to Croydon in May and clashing with opposition supporters as he left the pitch.

Dunn’s petulance was again on display in his side’s 3-1 friendly defeat to Brentford last month, when he was spoken to by the referee several times for reckless challenges in a brief appearance as a substitute.

Doswell looks set to have Bradley Woods-Garness, Laurent Hamici, Marcus Richardson, Stefan Payne and Sam Gargan to choose from when it comes to deciding who will lead his front line attack.

And the Gander Green Lane chief admits it is not just his temperament Dunn will need to curb if he wants to feature in the first team this season.

“I’m reluctant to take away a player’s natural aggression, but he certainly needs to get his personality right as well as other parts of his game,” he said.

“I rate him very highly. He is wonderful with the ball at his feet, but a waste of space without it and that is what he needs to work harder on.

“It is difficult for him because in youth team football he has been the top dog for so long and now he is having to adjust to that.

“The chances are he will get a long ban from the Surrey FA. He is going to find it even harder this season with the players we have with us, unless he sorts himself out.”