Quality on show in League Two is no surprise to Dons' Brighton loanee

The quality on display at MK Dons in League Two has not come as a surprise to keeper Tom McGill.

The 24-year-old Canadian international arrived at the club this summer on loan from Premier League Brighton & Hove Albion. Until his debut for Dons against Bradford City earlier this month, McGill’s only senior experience in England came at Crawley Town in 2020, and has played as understudy at the Amex Stadium since.

Dropping down to League Two, McGill said the style of play deployed at Stadium MK plays into his hands, and given the calibre of players Dons have at their disposal, he is not the only one.

“The style is clear to see for everyone,” he said. “It compliments me and a lot of the boys as well. I've found it really comforting.

“Everyone here is really comfortable on the ball, very good at playing in this style. As we play more games, we'll only get better.

“The manager puts the onus on you to play with the style. Mistakes will happen, he knows and understands that, and that's all you want to hear. You want to be comfortable playing it because it is nerve-wracking sometimes.

“But when everyone does their jobs properly, people are in the right positions, the ball moves quickly and we can play some really nice stuff.”

While the style itself is relatively rare at their level, McGill feels there is enough quality in League Two to see it deployed in most squads if coaches and recruitment matched up.

He continued: “From watching Bradford the other day, they could play it too if they had the right manager, the right coaching and enough time with it. Bradford's recruitment is more direct, and there is more than one way to win a game.

“The players at this level are very good, it's just down to how they're taught and coached to bring the best out of them.

“Ours is technical, to be good on the ball, good footballing knowledge with players who understand the game and how we want to play it.”