Cooking lessons and off-the-field support helping Irish pair settle at MK Dons

The excitment for Darragh Burns and Dawson Devoy hit fever pitch on Tuesday after their impressive showings against Watford.

Dons’ supporters are desperate to see the pair unleashed on League One, having seen their starts so far restricted to the Carabao Cup, but thus far, they have been eased into the action as they are brought up to speed following their summer moves from the League of Ireland.

Speaking earlier this week, Burns said it has been a big transition moving away from home for the first time, and Liam Manning added the club are doing a lot behind-the-scenes to help them settle in off-the-field so they can thrive on it.

“They've been terrific since signing,” said the head coach. “Neither have had the minutes they'll have wanted so far, but they've joined a team that will help them develop and transition while playing in a competitive league.

“The move away from home is new for the both of them. They've had cooking lessons, for example, to help them adapt. We're supporting them in that transition, and that's important to have everything right for them around the football so all their energy can go into playing.

“They're close, which helps them both, and their levels in training have been really good. But they also have to do what they did the other night on the pitch to give me that headache. We know what they're capable of, they have potential and we want to see them transition that into League One.”

Burns’ performance in particular was a stand-out in the 2-0 win over Watford on Tuesday night. The 20-year-old said he knew he had to be patient and agreed with Manning’s long-term plan for him at Dons, with Manning adding: “We've gone through the plans for the next few months with him.

“Of course he wants minutes and goal-contributions, which is what all the players want. We'll be leaning on him, we want him to have an impact at the top end of the pitch but there are a lot more elements to the game.”