By Luke Payne
Luke takes a look at some of the players you might not remember who played for us, and some didnt even do that !!!
The Forgotten Men of MK Dons – 2012/13 – 2022/23:
The 2022/23 season has been one to forget for MK Dons and a lot of the players currently in the squad will likely be forgotten very quickly when they ultimately leave the football club. That had us thinking…who are MK Don’s most forgettable players?
In this article, we’ve created a starting XI of the least memorable players from the past ten seasons (For the purpose of this article, former academy players don’t count). Perhaps it’s a reminder that things could always be worse. Perhaps it’s a silly trip down memory lane or maybe it’s just to prepare us for what is yet to come.
How many of these players do you remember playing for the Dons?
GK – Wieger Sietsma – July 2017 to January 2019:
Signed on a free from Dutch club SC Heerenveen, Sietsma was signed as cover for first choice keeper Lee Nicholls. He made 5 league appearances at the end of the 2017/18 relegation season and was demoted to third choice goalkeeper the following season after Stuart Moore joined The Dons.
Sietsma was then released shortly after the January transfer window began. Now at just 27 years of age, he’s retired from professional football having failed to make his mark at any of the clubs he played for.
RB – Brandon Mason – March 2022 to June 2022:
As it turns out, The Dons have been blessed with quality right-backs for the last ten seasons…until this season anyway. So instead I’ve put another left-back on the list and who better to fill that spot than a player that didn’t play a single minute of football in his time at the club? Brandon Mason was
brought in as emergency cover for Daniel Harvie in March last season but as it turns out he was never needed and Mason left at the end of the season as if he never joined in the first place. The 25 year old full-back now plays for Crawley Town where he’s managed 7 league appearances so far.
RCB – Matthew Upson – July 2015 to July 2016:
A lot of football fans will remember the name Matthew Upson. The former England international had a very successful career, spending most seasons in the premier league. However, many will have forgotten that he finished his career at MK Dons where he only managed 3 league appearances
before hanging up his boots. He was considered to be a huge signing at the time as The Dons geared up for a season of championship football but he was quickly forgotten in the grand scheme of things.
LCB – Kevin Long – March 2016 to July 2016 (Loan):
Brought in through an emergency loan from Burnley, Long was supposed to help the defensive crisis The Dons suffered in their only championship season. Long only actually managed to play 2 league games before returning to his parent club. At age 32, he’s currently occupying a spot in Birmingham City’s reserves.
LB – Mitch Hancox – June 2018 to June 2019:
Hancox was signed following the club’s relegation to League Two and he rejected a new deal from Macclesfield to come to Stadium MK. However, he proved to be a bit of a pointless signing as he only managed 1 league appearance before he was released at the end of the season. At 29 years of
age, he now plays for York City in the National League.
RM – Cristian Benavente – July 2015 to January 2016:
Following the club’s promotion into the Championship for the very first time, Karl Robinson managed to sign two players from Real Madrid. Benavente was the first of these players and his arrival brought a lot of excitement to the fanbase. However, he turned out to be a huge
disappointment, only managing 2 league appearances before he was released in January. His most notable moment as a Dons player was when captain Dean Lewington sprinted across the pitch to shout at him for not putting enough effort in. 28 year old Benavente has played for a host of
European clubs since but now plays for Alianza Lima in Peru, a nation he represents at international level.
CM – Nigel Reo-Coker – March 2018 to June 2018:
Signed as a last ditch attempt to save the club from relegation, former Wimbledon FC man Reo-Coker was brought in by Dan Micciche following a few weeks training with the club. He was supposed to give the side another option in midfield but in reality he was a poor signing as Reo-Coker never even played a game for The Dons and retired at the end of the season.
CM – Jimmy Bullard – August 2012 to October 2012:
When Karl Robinson signed Bullard ahead of the 2012/13 season, it was thought to be a statement of intent to the rest of League One. Instead it turned out to be a retirement home for the midfielder, with Bullard managing just 2 league appearances before picking up an injury and retiring from the beautiful game. Since known for his appearances on TV courtesy of Soccer AM, the name Jimmy Bullard is likely to be remembered for a long time, even if his time at MK Dons wasn’t.
LM – Dale Jennings – November 2013 to January 2014 (Loan), June 2015 to February 2016:
To sign for a club twice and still make it onto a starting XI of forgettable players is impressive. Karl Robinson signed Jennings on a one month loan deal in the 2013/14 season and was so impressed with the winger’s 6 league appearances that he jumped at the chance to sign him permanently for
the 2015/16 season. Jennings proved to be a total disappointment and only played 1 more league game for the club before his contract was mutually terminated at the end of the January transfer window. After leaving the club he took two years away from football but the 30 year old eventually
returned and has been floating around in non-league since.
ST – Chris Long – January 2014 to February 2014 (Loan):
The first player on this list to actually score a goal for the club, Long was signed on a one month loan deal from Everton. He managed 4 league appearances including 3 starts before returning to his parent club. Since then, the 28 year old has played for a number of British clubs including Burnley, Blackpool and Motherwell. He currently plays for Crewe Alexandra but he’s struggled for appearances this season.
ST – Jay Emmanuel-Thomas – February 2016 to July 2016:
Emmanuel-Thomas also known as ‘JET’ was signed to save MK Dons season, with the club struggling for goals in the Championship. However, his lazy attitude saw him become incredibly unpopular at Stadium MK and the forward only managed 4 league appearances and 0 goals. At 32 years old, Emmanuel-Thomas is now very well-travelled and currently plays for Indian top flight team Jamshedpur FC.
Bench:
Stuart Moore – August 2018 to July 2020 – 6 league appearances – Now 28 years old at Blackpool.
Jack Hendry (Loan) – August 2016 to January 2017 – 7 league appearances – Now 27 years old at Club Brugge in the top flight of Belgium.
Josh Tymon (Loan) – January 2018 to July 2018 – 9 league appearances – Now 23 years old and still at parent club Stoke where he’s now a starting player.
Sergio Aguza – July 2015 to January 2016 – 3 league appearances – Now 30 years old at CE Sabadell in the third tier of Spanish football.
Ryan Hall – February 2014 to July 2014 – 11 league appearances, 1 goal – Now 35 years old playing non-league.
Brennan Dickenson – July 2019 to January 2020 – 7 league appearances – Now 30 years old playing for Carlisle.
Maecky Ngombo (Loan) – January 2017 to July 2017 – 9 league appearances – Now 27 years old playing for ACR Messina in the third tier of Italian football.
That was the most forgettable MK Dons players from the last ten seasons. Is there anyone we missed out? Would any of this season’s players make this team one day? Joshua Kayode, Daniel Oyegoke, Dan Kemp and Anthony Stewart are all reasonable shouts if you ask this writer!
Finally, would you like to see a part two for the seasons pre-2012/13? Let us know your thoughts on our social media and thank you for reading
