Vast improvement seen in Devoy since conversation with Dons boss

Graham Alexander held a conversation with Dawson Devoy last week to help the Irish midfielder find a way back into the fold at MK Dons.

The 21-year-old only got his first minutes of the season on Tuesday night when he came off the bench in the 2-1 defeat to Crawley Town, having been an unused substitute for the previous three matches.

Devoy arrived at Stadium MK a year ago, tipped to fill the huge boots left for him by Burnley-bound Scott Twine. But he was not the only one to struggle last term as the side suffered relegation.

In a midfield unit now seemingly dominated by MJ Williams, Alex Gilbey and Ethan Robson, Devoy has found first-team opportunities limited, with his appearance on 69 minutes at the People’s Pension Stadium the first under the new head coach. But they came after the pair had a frank meeting last week to see where and whether Devoy could step up.

Alexander said: “I had a chat with Dawson last week, sat him down and asked where he was mentally, asked what he thought of things, and then we talked about what he needs to to do push himself into the frame.

“What I’ve seen from Dawson in the last 10 days, he’s grasped the level in training and he’s showing us what he can do in training, and he got his chance on Tuesday night. And I felt he made a really good impact on the game.

“He's still having to earn the right to compete in the midfield against Ethan, Alex and MJ. They're the benchmark at the moment.

“Everyone in this team knows where they stand, and we've clarified that with the players and then help them actually achieve that.

“That's the process with all the players. We care about all the players here, but it's down the to the players to put that into action. The door is always open for him and others.”