Connections helped convince Jerome to make Dons switch

Cameron Jerome admitted he spoke to a number of his former team-mates, now at MK Dons, to convince him to make the move to Stadium MK.

The 34-year-old striker arrives after a two-year stint in Turkey, but felt a move back to England was right for his family following the coronavirus pandemic.

Having played alongside manager Russell Martin at Norwich, as well as Louis Thompson and Carlton Morris, he also lined-up nect to Richard Keogh at Derby County - all of whom got in contact with Jerome to speak to him about the move.

He said: "Richard got in touch with me once he caught wind of it – I think Russ gave him a little nudge there! And I know Carlton and Louis from Norwich as well. Carlton messaged me a few times as well. It was nice to feel wanted and from there, it was just about making the right decision.

"I had options here and abroad, but I wanted to keep my family here with everything that is going on so it made sense to stay at home and this is the opportunity I chose.

"I'd spoken to Russ a few times over the summer, about the project he has here and it felt like the perfect fit for me to come and play football. I've been out of the country for a couple of years, but I wanted to come back to England and MK Dons felt like the perfect fit for me.

"With Russell at the helm and the younger players coming through, I have the opportunity to bring something on and off the pitch. In that respect, it seems like the right fit for me, especially with the style of football he wants to play. It's a great place to come and play and I'm excited to get going."

Jerome is no stranger to playing in the EFL, plying his trade for the most part in the Championship and Premier League but has never played in the third tier. After racking up three promotions in seven seasons though, Jerome hopes he can add another to his record with Dons.

He said: "From my first season in the EFL, my record is pretty good, with three promotions in seven seasons. But I've never played at this level, but it would be something I'd like to add to my record. It's exciting. I think we've got a good chance, there are some good teams in this league but we're as good as many of them.

"As a striker, you want to score as many as possible but it's not just goals that is a part of my game, it's things people don't necessarily see or get recognition for. Russell knows what I'm capable of doing. There's no coincidence I've played at this level for a long time so I must be doing something right.