Scholtz shocked by his Dons first-team involvement this summer

Phoenix Scholtz admitted he was shocked when MK Dons boss Graham Alexander invited him to join the first-teams training camp in Germany.

The second year scholar has been a part of the pre-season training campaign under the new head coach alongside fellow academy products Callum Tripp, Joel Anker and Charlie Waller.

And Scholtz, 17, has been a regular in pre-season games too, making three outings for the side against Barnet, VfL Osnabrück and Northampton Town as the side prepare for the League two campaign.

His involvement though has come as something of a surprise even to the teenager himself.

“I came on against Barnet at right-back, for what was probably 30 minutes,” he said. “I thought I played fairly well - I went into the changing room after the game and as I left the said that he wants to take me to Germany. I was a bit shocked! But I was also really proud of myself and really happy too.

“I thought, this is my time to go and show them what I can do.”

On his time mixing it with the first-team, he continued: “It has been really good! I thought the lads would be a lot firmer, but they’ve all really took me under their wing, along with all the other young boys too.

“The coaching staff have been really supportive, whenever I step onto the pitch or in training, I know that they have full faith in me, same with the rest of the lads.

“I’m really enjoying it - I feel like I’m a part of the group, and I’m picking up a lot of first team habits which is good. I’m going to keep fighting for my position and hopefully get into that team. ’m really going to fight for my spot and help MK Dons get back to where we belong.”