New MK Dons contract can offer Leko the start of a new chapter

The torment and frustration of the last 18 months can finally be resigned to the shelf for Jonathan Leko.

The confirmation of a new MK Dons contract this afternoon, his first since signing for the club in January 2022, can now act as the rejuvenation of a player who has threatened to offer so much since his move from Charlton Athletic.

It’s fair to say his time at Stadium MK in his first two-and-a-half years has been disappointing - a far cry from the journey he had expected when he first put pen to paper in Milton Keynes.

Despite joining the side in League One and making a strong start to life in Mark Jackson’s side, it would end in massive disappointment as Dons were relegated to the fourth tier just a year after fighting for automatic promotion.

With Graham Alexander taking over at the helm in League Two, Leko was set to form a three-pronged attack alongside Mo Eisa and Ellis Harrison. But with the sacking of Alexander and the arrival of Mike Williamson, all three fell out of favour. While Leko showed flashes of his enigmatic self, it was clear his future was set to unfold elsewhere.

Burton Albion came calling for Leko, signalling what many expected to be the end of his time at MK1. But disaster struck barely two minutes into his Brewers debut, suffering a catastrophic knee injury which would sideline him for more than a year.

It was a brutal 14 months on the sidelines too for him. Hours, days, weeks and indeed months of arduous rehab would follow on the road to recovery. Not alone in the treatment room, as he formed a strong friendship with young keeper Ronnie Sandford who suffered a similar knee injury, Leko would still endure some tough times on his return to fitness.

Minor setbacks added to the time out, but with every passing day to edged closer to a comeback. Getting back into training under Scott Lindsey’s watch, he never kicked a ball for the head coach prior to his sacking.

By the end of March though, his opportunity finally came. The 1-0 win over Cheltenham Town at Whaddon Road might not have been the most memorable of games on the grand scheme of the season, but the roar of the travelling fans when his number was shown to come on with 21 minutes to go, replacing Callum Hendry, was one of the highlights of an otherwise miserable campaign. And it could have been a fairytale had he kept his nerve and held his run, tapping in from an offside position in stoppage time.

Paul Warne’s arrival sparked a few more appearances for Leko, including starts against Crewe and Grimsby, with the new boss declaring the 26-year-old ‘a bit of me’ as he seemed impressed by what he had in his arsenal.

It’s fair to say times have been bad during Leko’s tenure at the club. Though his future appeared up in the air, with 14 months of ring-rust still to be shaken off and his deal up at the end of June, Leko’s new contract gives him and indeed Dons the opportunity to see what can happen when times are good.