Lewington lauded for his performance on return after surgery

Captain Dean Lewington showed little signs of ring-rust during his comeback game against Cambridge United after nearly four months out.

The 38-year-old’s name has not often been a surprise on the team-sheet during his MK Dons career, but with the suspension to Zak Jules leaving his side in the hole somewhat at the back, Lewington pulled on his number three shirt for the first time since November, and crucially, since the hamstring surgery which has kept him out since.

Lewington barely skipped a beat though, giving Mark Jackson a little over an hour in his first game back as Dons claimed a massive three points over relegation rivals Cambridge United.

“Getting Dean back on the pitch was vital for us,” said Jackson afterwards. “He's always been around the group, even when he was injured, but having him in training he has been really influential.

“He's a great leader, and to have that composure and calmness on the pitch was fantastic.

“I asked him to give me as much as he could, and he gave me everything and was a big part of the win today.”

Fellow defender Jack Tucker said having the skipper alongside him helped give the defence a sense of calm and control which he admitted they have lacked recently.

He said: “Having Skip back is massive for us, on and off the pitch. He's still been a voice for us even when he's been out injured. But having alongside you in the trenches back there is massive for us.

“Having his voice alongside you is reassuring too, knowing he's been through these experiences before when he tells us how to deal with things.

“And we've got a fairly young squad so there's definitely a lot of things we can learn from him.”