Barker gave Warne the seal of approval to take MK Dons job

New head coach Paul Warne admitted if it weren’t for Richie Barker, he would not have taken the job at MK Dons

The duo were team-mates at Rotherham United during their playing days before reuniting in the Millers dugout in 2017, and have been running mates ever since. Through their ups and downs between League One and the Championship, Barker followed Warne to Derby County in September 2022 too, where he helped lead the Rams out of League One again.

Before the opportunity to work with Warne though, Barker was a popular member of MK Dons’ backroom staff, working under Karl Robinson. The former striker played a key role in Dons’ promotion to the Championship in 2014/15, even leading the side in a caretaker capacity after Robinson was sacked in 2016.

It was his experience and knowledge of the club then that ultimately led to Warne taking up the vacant post at Stadium MK this week, with the new head coach saying Barker played a pivotal role in him agreeing to make the switch.

“If Rich didn’t want to come here, I wouldn’t have come here. He’s part of the package,” said Warne. “We had options and he said from day one this was the place he wanted to be.

“If he wasn’t great at his job, he wouldn’t be working with me either. With him, the club is in unbelievably safe hands.

“He’s an unbelievable coach, and he sometimes makes me feel a bit of a fraud because he’s a massive part of our success. He’s a very diligent coach, is a great human being and has the same moral compass as me. Our wives are best mates, our kids are best mates.

“He has managed as well, so he keeps the problems from my door sometimes too. He’s a safe pair of hands, and he is buzzing to be back.”