Kasumu is ready for the weight of the number eight

This time last year, David Kasumu was not a name Dons fans would have expected to be a first-team regular. This time around, he is MK Dons' new number eight.

While the importance of squad numbers can be somewhat overlooked nowadays, Kasumu's decision to bear a single digit on his back denotes both his and Russell Martin's plans for the season - for him to be a regular.

Kasumu made a good start to the campaign on Saturday, despite Dons going down 1-0 to Coventry City and suffering a Carabao Cup knock-out in the first round. In a typically combative performance, Kasumu looked every bit the regular he grew to be last season and lived up to the new number on the back of his shirt.

Those performances last season, his attitude during lockdown and his improvements since returning to training all contributed in Martin offering him the number eight shirt - worn for a long time by a similarly fierce midfielder Darren Potter for several years.

"I asked David if he wanted the number 8 shirt, and he is a big enough personality to take it," said Martin.

"David can be whatever he wants to be, he has a bit of everything. He's athletic, has a great mentality, trains hard, we just have to polish those rough edges. He's getting better all the time.

"He's come back in incredible condition, worked hard technically over the break, and when someone comes back with that mentality and intent, it shows he's ready to step up. He's really matured quickly and he listens.

"I see David being a big part of our squad moving forwards. He's been a top performer in pre-season and it's up to him to keep those performance levels high."