"It takes everyone": Goode on what Dons will need to fight at the top next season

Every member of the squad will be expected to play a part if MK Dons are to be fighting atop League One next season.

After being a part of the Stevenage side which reached the play-offs in the third tier last term, defender Charlie Goode knows what it takes for a team to achieve the level of ambitions Dons have as they go into the division for the first time since 2023.

With plenty of options available to boss Paul Warne in midfield and in Goode’s position at the heart of the defence, the 30-year-old said competition for places will be fierce, but in citing his season with Boro last time out, said everyone will have to play a part when called upon.

“First and foremost, it takes everyone,” he said. “It’s a ten-month season, and you need everyone to come together. It’s hours and hours of hard work, everyone has to be on the same page.

“Last season, no-one expected us (Stevenage) to be where we finished, this league is there to be shot at. There is no reason why we can’t achieve something special here.

“They all did brilliantly last year, and I can already see how good they are as players. Competition is really healthy.

“There will be times in the season where there are injuries or suspensions or changes in formations, so we’ll all be called upon at some stage, and then it’s up to us to keep our spot when given that opportunity.

“I’ve come into a dressing room with a lot of experience at this level already, and that’s vital. We’re a big enough club, we’ve got a lot of personality so I don’t think we’ll struggle to adapt. It’s up to us to go out and deliver the performances.”

Having played with centre-back cohorts Curtis Nelson and Marvin Ekpiteta during his career already, Goode admitted joining a new dressing room is still a daunting task for new players but felt the welcome he got from the Dons squad has helped him settle quickly.

He said: “The lads have been really welcoming, I know a few of them from having played with them in the past, and I’d come up against many of them as well.

“I’ve played with Nels for a short period at Blackpool, and Marv was there as well. The fact all of us play in the same position helps as well.

“The older you get, it’s still daunting coming into a new group but they have all been great. As soon as you get out on the training pitch, you start to form relationships, and coming out to places like Croatia, you have a lot of time to sit and play cards, socialise and get to know people as a person as well.”