'Beautiful footballer' still has a future at MK Dons

There is still a chance for Conor Grant to stake a claim to become a regular for MK Dons this season.

The 23-year-old has made 52 appearances in two years since joining the club from Rochdale, but spent the second-half of last term on loan at League One Barnsley as they secured a play-off spot.

The Irishman has had a decent pre-season too, regularly involved in Mike Williamson’s sides and doing a good job in the centre of the park.

Last season, when talking about Grant, the head coach was full of praise for Grant on the ball, but wanted to see more of him out of possession.

And after his spell at Oakwell, Williamson believes Grant has come back in great form and can make his mark on the team this season.

“He's a beautiful footballer,” said the head coach. “He's someone you can just watch and admire because he's so fluent, and everything he does is so effortless.

“I thought for his own development, the game time he would have got here would not have been beneficial to him. He's highly rated, and you can see that with the loan he got.

“He's got bags of talent, and his potential is still very high so he definitely has a future here.”