Fleetwood defeat took the shine off Gladwin's time in charge of MK Dons

A summer of reflection is on the cards for Ben Gladwin after his spell as MK Dons’ interim head coach came to an end this week.

With the appointment of Paul Warne as the new man to lead the club through the remaining four games of the season and beyond, Gladwin’s caretaker charge of the last nine games has brought about mixed fortunes, though has ended on something of a sour note with four consecutive defeats.

For Gladwin, 32, a career as a head coach is on the cards but he predicts a few years down the line yet. And though he took a lot of enjoyment from the first few games in charge, he admitted the 4-2 defeat to Fleetwood Town a little over two weeks ago began to take the shine off his experience at the helm. He hands over control to Warne with a record of two wins, a draw and six defeats in his nine games in charge of the side.

“I really enjoyed the first three or four weeks, right up until the Fleetwood game,” he said. “That was very damaging for the group. From there, it has been tough for the group. Recently, it has been very disappointing.

“There have been a lot of lessons I will take from this experience. It has consumed a lot of my energy, and a lot of learning. There is a lot to reflect on and to look back on, and I’m sure there will be a million things I can take from it.”

Speaking about what the future could hold for the ex-Blackburn Rovers and Swindon Town midfielder, Gladwin continued: “I’m a relatively level headed person, and I try not to take things too personally. I’m sure we’ll get to the summer, when I’m with my family, and my new born on the way, and I’ll put it all into perspective.”

“A lot of people have been brilliant in supporting me, I’ve had a lot of calls telling me not to overthink it. When you’re in the middle of it, you really, really feel it, especially when you want things to go well.”