Grim reality faced Kelly before he got the call to join MK Dons

A couple of weeks ago, Michael Kelly was desperately hoping his phone would ring to offer him a job. On Tuesday, he was keeping a clean sheet for MK Dons.

The 27-year-old keeper made his Dons debut at the Kassam Stadium in the EFL Trophy as Jack Payne’s penalty all but ensured Graham Alexander’s side a spot in the next round of the competition, thanks to their 1-0 win over Oxford United.

On a night where four players made their first starts for the club, none were more of a surprise than Kelly’s. The Irishman was released by Carlisle United despite helping them to promotion last season and until a few weeks ago, his entire footballing career was under threat.

Injury to Nathan Harness though meant Dons had to go delving into the free agency market for a keeper to back up Craig MacGillivray, and for Kelly, finally the phone rang.

“It’s really difficult, waiting,” he said. “If anyone told you otherwise, they’re lying.

“It’s like pulling the rug from under you tomorrow, you’ve got no job and you’re not guaranteed to have one again ever in this line of work.

“You just have to believe in yourself, because if you don’t there is absolutely no reason for anyone else to. You have to plug away, keep doing the work on your own. It’s tough but you have to dig in.”

He continued: “When a club as big as MK Dons comes calling for you, it’s not really much of a decision! You can do bits on your own, but you can’t replicate what you get in and around the group, the banter, the high intensity training.

“I’d been champing at the bit at home to get the phone call, so when you get it, you have to come and do the business.”

Kelly was brought in initially on a short-term deal simply as cover for the injured Harness but after his clean sheet at Oxford, and making a couple of good saves en route to it, he hopes he can see that deal extended.

He said: “Hopefully it will be longer, hopefully it will get extended. All I can do is what I did tonight, we’ve given everything tonight, and that’s all you can ask.

“It’s nice to see welcoming people when you come into a new building. The staff and the group have made it really easy to settle in.

“I feel right at home here already, so hopefully that deal gets extended - I’m loving it here.”