Troso is keen to see Dons' development squad succeed in bridging the gap between academy and first-team

The formation of MK Dons’ development squad is already proving useful to help academy players get used to the pressures of the first-team.

Brought to life in the summer and put under the watch of Fran Constancio-Calvo and retired captain Dean Lewington, players at the out reaches of the U18s age group now have a transitional group to be a part of to get them prepared for any potential opportunities in Paul Warne’s first team.

Several of the young Dons who featured on Tuesday night’s Vertu Trophy opener against West Ham U21s are a part of the development team, including 18-year-old Simone Troso, who is highly thought of for his academy career thus far.

“It’s there to bridge the gap,” the teenager said. “The jump between U18s to the first-team is very big, so the club getting the U21s involved is a very good step in bridging that gap and making the transition a little bit easier. Hopefully we can have more young players transitioning into the first-team.

“It’s very new, we don’t have too many players yet but Skip and Fran are doing very good work with our sessions and everything. Hopefully as it continues to grow and evolve it can become more like a team. It has been really good so far.

“We’ve had a few sessions when senior players have dropped in with us, and it definitely helps. Like tonight, the more you spend time with them, the more you can make an impression, grow relationships, so it is so beneficial for us younger guys.

“They’re all really good lads, and I had Jon (Mellish) and Aaron (Collins) down that side with me, talking all the way through the game. It helped me stay focused and concentrated. It was a really good experience and opportunity for all of the young players to be surrounded by people like that.”

Though much-maligned, especially in the early stages, the Vertu Trophy offers younger players the chance to perform under the head coach’s nose in a competitive outing, something which Troso admitted he had circled in his calendar when the fixtures came out.

“It’s a priceless opportunity,” he added. “We had five young lads starting today, we look forward to these opportunities every season, they’re the games we look at and think maybe we can get some game time. It’s all learning.”