EXCLUSIVE: Manager Micciche returns to a place he always called home

Having spent six years cutting his teeth as Head of Coaching in the Dons academy, Micciche left for England U16s in 2013, but has found his way back to Stadium MK to take over from departed Robbie Neilson.

Unveiled on Tuesday, Micciche said he first received the call from chairman Pete Winkelman on Monday morning, and allowed his heart to rule.

“It is a dream come true,” he told the Citizen. “When you work here, it has a special feel and it was really tough to leave back in 2013.

“It would only have been a special job to draw me away, and it was. To be back feels like home.

“I got a call from the chairman on Monday to come in and it went from there.”

When asked whether he was expecting the call, he said: “Yes and no. The chairman believes in me and I believe in the club. He knows I’m ambitious.

“He knew when I came to the academy that I wasn’t there just to tick a box - I wanted to develop players for the top level, and that’s my ambition.

“When I went to the FA, people told me I wouldn’t be able to get more possession in a game than Brazil, Spain and Germany. Three years later, they’re winning world cups. It’s the same with this job. People will tell me I can’t play a certain way in League 1 or that these players aren’t good enough. I’m here to prove them wrong.

“(Winkelman) has been fantastic for me, we’ve had a close-knit community here for so many years. It’s a special place and I’m delighted to be here.

“I don’t feel like I’ve ever left. The chairman has always left the door open for me, I always felt at home here.”