MK Dons 'had gone soft' on and off the pitch

Manager Russell Martin said MK Dons was a place where players came to be comfortable 'without real expectations' before he arrived.

Speaking after the sale of Rhys Healey to Toulouse on Thursday, Martin and the club have come under fire from disgruntled fans for parting with their star players after the striker followed Player of the Year Alex Gilbey out of the club.

But Martin refuted claims the club had been bullied in negotiations with both Charlton and Toulouse in the sales of the duo, and said Dons' reputation of being a soft touch was something he has been trying to address since he took over back in November.

"Forget transfer negotiations, I feel like this club had gone soft," he said. "It had been too comfortable for some people, it wasn't demanding enough for people and it became a place people could come and enjoy without real expectations. I want to move away from that.

"If people don't want to be here and the club decides the deal is right, they move on, it's no problem. I'm disappointed to lose a good player, but we've prepared for this. Rhys was always going to get interest, now it's about finding the next one.

"But at the moment every club in the country, including the bottom half of the Premier League, is in the same boat. When a club from a higher level comes in for one of your players, it's really difficult. We're stronger than one player."

Martin also addressed questions about the fee received for Healey, saying: "It's not about how much we got – if we weren't happy with what we were offered, we wouldn't have taken it. There are plans in place already with what we want to do with it.

"I get everyone's frustration, but in football everything changes quickly and people move on. My job is to protect what we're trying to build here. It's difficult to go and get a like-for-like because Rhys was unique. But we need to go and find the next one with the potential to do that.

"Hopefully the fans will be equally as excited by the players we bring in with it as they were with Rhys."