Helpless but enjoyable - Johnson on his Dons managerial debut

Taking charge of MK Dons on Tuesday night only whet Bradley Johnson’s appetite for a career in management – but not quite yet.

The 35-year-old swapped goal-scoring for managerial duties this week, having found the back of the net in the 2-0 win over Portsmouth on Saturday before taking over as caretaker manager of the club for the Carabao Cup game against Leicester City.

Speaking before the game, Johnson said he has aspirations to coach and indeed become a manager when his playing days are over.

And after guiding Dons through the 3-0 defeat to the Premier League outfit, the midfielder said it was a unique experience.

“I enjoyed it,” he said afterwards. “As a player, you come in and you know what you’re doing - you come in, get changed and just think about yourself. But we had the meeting before the game, and I was wondering whether I should go into the changing room or sit in the manager’s office!

“I didn’t know what to do with myself sometimes, but I enjoyed every minute of it. It’s something I’d love to do in the future.

“For me, trying to manage the game from the side was a good test. I want to play for as long as I can, but if I have to step in again, I’ll happily do it.

“I took it in my stride. I knew it wouldn’t be a long-term thing, so it was a case of getting together with Skip and Dave, sorting the team. I wasn’t ringing around asking for advice, just talking to the lads, holding a meeting and standing out there on the side lines.

“It was tough at times, I was trying to kick and head the ball, and you get like that because it’s not in your control. It’s a bit like when a player is injured and you can’t help out, you feel helpless.”