Lawrence eyes the next step in his career after making MK Dons switch

New signing Henry Lawrence said he admired MK Dons from afar last season after signing on loan for the 2022/23 campaign.

The Chelsea full-back spent last season on loan at rivals AFC Wimbledon, making 32 appearances for the club as they suffered relegation to League Two, following a five-month win-less run.

Lawrence, a product of the Chelsea academy, is Dons' 12th signing of the summer and the second from Chelsea following Jamie Cumming's move two weeks ago.

On completing his move, Lawrence said he was impressed with the performance of Liam Manning's side last season and was eager to make the move to help his career progress further.

“I saw how well MK Dons did last season and I’m looking forward to being a part of things moving forward," he said.

“Coming from Chelsea, this is a similar playing style to what I am used to and I saw that last season when I played against MK Dons. I am very excited to come into this team and show what I can do.

“Another one of the big reasons I wanted to come here is Liam Manning and the club’s record of developing young players. This is a good place for me to come and improve my game.”

Lawrence arrives after Tennai Watson suffered a hamstring injury in last Saturday's pre-season friendly against King's Lynn Town and looks set to miss the start of the season next Saturday against Cambridge United.