Experience at St George's Park could inspire Dons' training ground

"I know this is an extreme level, but if you can replicate it a little bit for our training ground it will be great"
National BowlNational Bowl
National Bowl

Having spent a week at St George's Park - England's training base in Burton - Dean Lewington has plenty of ideas to offer to chairman Pete Winkelman for Dons' training ground.

Talks of a training base for the club have been rumbling on for as long as they have been in Milton Keynes, but a deal agreed in 2019 finally appears to have secured a spot for the facility at the National Bowl.

Though initial plans are to have pitches ready for the first team to use by the end of 2021, Dons' time at one of the best facilities in the country has certainly given the squad something of a taste of what life could be like at a top-notch training ground.

Lewington, 37. admitted a completed training ground might come too late for him, but he hopes Dons' plans can go a way to replicating what Dons have experienced this week.

He said: "It's a bit unfortunate that in my time in MK, the training ground has always been talked about but never come around.

"To be here, with the pitches and the facilities is amazing really. It shows what can be done.

"I know this is an extreme level, but if you can replicate it a little bit for our training ground it will be great."

"St George's Park is incredible," added manager Russell Martin. "We spoke to them at the start of the week to make the most of what they've got here. The pitches, the recovery centre, the gym, the food - the food is too good and the staff are probably eating too much!"