Comparison and expectation always conspired against Devoy at MK Dons

Dawson Devoy spent his two years in England playing in the cold shadows of reputations laid out by MK Dons players he barely, and indeed never kicked balls with.

The young Irishman has completed a move, for an undisclosed fee, back to Bohemian where he first made waves in the League of Ireland, penning a multi-year deal to see him move back home.

Devoy arrived in Milton Keynes with a big weight of expectation on his shoulders. Starring in the League of Ireland for the Bohs, Devoy was placed high on Dons' wishlist in January 2022. They were eager to land the teenager, but were forced to wait another six months before being able to bring him over the Irish Sea. When they did, Devoy was barely afforded a second to adapt, given the nigh on impossible task of replacing Scott Twine.

Moving to England, learning to fend for himself for the first time while becoming a full-time footballer, life on the pitch was not made much easier for Devoy. The pressure on him to orchestrate, string-pull and spark in the way Twine did was an experiement that never really paid off. From his earliest performances, Devoy was a very different player. Capable of an eye-of-the-needle pass and a little bit of midfield nastiness, the Irishman showed glimpses of his abilities. Unfortunately for all involved though, they were too few and far between.

Lumbered with the Twine-replacement moniker, and playing in a team that struggled with its own identity, his first season would end with relegation.

Headed into his second campaign, Devoy would be working under his third head coach, but barely got a sniff for Graham Alexander. The arrival of Mike Williamson hinted at a return to a style of football which better suited Devoy's capabilities, but it appeared the change was just another disruption for him. Never fully getting his opportunity, making just seven outings for his fourth head coach in 18 months, Devoy was given a chance to shine elsewhere at the start of 2024, landing at Swindon Town on loan.

There though, he was labelled once again as a replacement for a departed Don - this time of Dan Kemp. Kemp was in sensational form at the County Ground while on loan from Stadium MK, and was recalled to his parent club, with Devoy going the other way. Though he made 16 appearances and netted three goals during his time in Wiltshire, Kemp's shadow remained.

Returning home to Bohs is less an admission of failure but a move away from the comparisons which had so heavily burdened Devoy during his time in England. Whether he gave those comparisons time of day or not, they constantly lurked with every appearance both in Milton Keynes and later in Swindon.

While his first spell at Bohs was what made plenty of people sit up and pay attention, Devoy's only comparisons back at Dalymount Park now should be against himself.