Kasumu deserved Dons captaincy against Southampton

Wearing the captain's armband was a deserving reward for David Kasumu on Wednesday night.

The 20-year-old has become a mainstay in the MK Dons first team over the last 12 months, having made a name for himself with a string of performances in the EFL Trophy last season leading to a more consistent run in League One.

Now a combative part of Dons' midfield on a regular basis, Kasumu has acted as something of a poster-child for players in the academy. With five youngsters making their debut on Wednesday night in the Papa John's Trophy defeat to Southampton U21s, Kasumu stood tallest, wearing the captain's armband in the absence of Dean Lewington.

And while he will continue to be the source of inspiration for the players eager to follow in his footsteps, manager Russell Martin believes there is still a lot of development Kasumu himself can do to become an even more important part of his team.

"It's a sign of how far he's come as a person and a player, how much responsibility he takes on," said Martin after handing Kasumu the armband. "We're trying to develop that here and make them feel a part of something they can help build.

"He knows how much we value him, how highly we rate him and how much more we expect from him. He deserved the armband tonight.

"With a lot of academy players tonight, they can look at that and aspire to become like that themselves.

"He's still early in his career, but he has to strive to improve and become the first name on the team-sheet every week. He will be a huge asset for this club, even bigger than he already is."