Ex-Don eager to replace Manning at Stadium MK

Former Dons midfielder Peter Leven has thrown his hat in the ring to replace Liam Manning as head coach at Stadium MK.

The Scot played 130 games in Milton Keynes between 2008 and 2011, netting 22 goals but had to call time on his career in 2014, at just 29.

His coaching career has seen him work for Middlesbrough, Kilmarnock and Dynamo Brest in Belarus where he helped them to Champions League qualification in 2019.

Most recently, he has been a coach at Russian side FC Orenburg, who secured promotion back to the top flight.

Following Manning’s sacking on Sunday with the club toiling in 23rd in League One, the Daily Record reported Leven is interested in taking up the hotseat at his former club.

Should Leven take over, he would be coaching two former team-mates in the Dons dressing room in the form of keeper David Martin and skipper Dean Lewington, who has been taking caretaker charge since Manning’s dismissal.

And Lewington outlined the task at hand for the next person to take charge.

He said: “I'm sure the people they are looking at will have the qualities, determination and belief they can do the job. We're not far from January which will be a hugely important transfer window in terms of addressing the problems.

“We have to get the manager appointment right and the recruitment right in January as well.”