"People who get the game can see what he does": Warne on unsung his midfielder

His performances might not grab the headlines, but Ryan Wintle is showing why he was such hot property in the summer.

The former Cardiff City man’s move to Milton Keynes came as something of a surprise, with Championship teams sniffing around the midfielder after his shock release by the Bluebirds. Staying in League One might not have been top of his agenda, but since arriving, he has barely been out of the side.

Scoring in the Carabao Cup on his debut, he then put one on a plate for Aaron Collins against Oxford, and has been a growing influence in the midfield after dropping into a deeper role to collect just in front of the back three.

Mopping up and doing the ‘unsung hero’ side of the game has not made him stand out from the crowd in an ‘in your face’ sense, but with the Cowshed adopting a new song for him, Wintle’s influence on the side is growing.

“He hasn’t got a 30-yard screamer, he’s not the quickest but he’s just very good at everything,” said head coach Paul Warne. “He’s an 8/10 every week. He never gives it away, he never makes a bad choice, he covers up when a centre-half goes forward, he keeps the game ticking along.

“His physical data is through the roof, he does loads of unselfish running and he has two good feet to put the ball in. When he’s around a set-piece, I always feel like good things will happen.

“As the weeks have gone by, I think people who really get the game can see what he does.”