Winkelman turned down Sweeting’s resignation following relegation

Sporting Director Liam Sweeting offered to resign from his role at MK Dons following their relegation to League Two, only for chairman Pete Winkelman to refuse his offer.

Sweeting was positioned front a centre at Stadium MK as the man responsible for recruiting the first-team and coaching staff since taking up his newly created position in 2021, and took most of the plaudits when Dons came so close to securing automatic promotion last season.

However, with a bad summer window, two head coaches and multiple others losing their jobs as Dons dropped into League Two, Sweeting has been shuffled to the back of the pack again, and will shy out of the limelight going forwards.

Winkelman, who sacked Mark Jackson and his coaching staff on Tuesday, said Sweeting too had offered his resignation in the aftermath of Sunday’s drop to the fourth tier, but despite being quotes as saying “I’m in a privileged position to lead a modern football club” back in December, Winkelman insists that it was not his fault.

“The way I've allowed him to be portrayed absolutely has led to this,” said the chairman. “Because he's a good lad, he's taken that responsibility, but it's not his. He shouldn't be saying things like that. I should never put him in that position.

“Why on earth was my Sporting Director talking to the public? He doesn’t sign the players, he had pictures with the new players. You don’t see it at any other club, you hardly even know who they are.

“It was good to hear from a different voice, but it should not have been the Sporting Director or the Head of Recruitment - whatever you want to call him.

“I didn't accept his resignation because he still has so much to give to this club.

“I understand how he has been portrayed, but that was a bad decision from me. It wasn't fair of me to put him in that position. 

“Liam has taken full accountability for his role in it. He has practically offered his resignation. He's an honourable boy, and works his guts out.

“He has had less and less profile recently, and going forward he won't have any profile. You shouldn't really know who he is.”

Winkelman continued: “The recruitment is a process, a team-effort. The Sporting Director identifies a player, and the manager will choose from that. The final decision has been and always will be with the head coach or manager.

“The person who picks the team has the biggest role in it. That has always been the case and will always be the case.”