"You take football for granted": Sanders on turbulent start to life at MK Dons

Injuries are part and parcel of the game for footballers, but when illness sets in, recovery was a learning process for Jack Sanders.

The 26-year-old felt he was struggling despite making three starts for MK Dons after signing from St Johnstone in January, but could not put his finger on what it was. But with the squad set for Merseyside to take on Tranmere, Sanders’ health deteriorated and he would spend the next few days in hospital with a kidney infection.

After a course of antibiotics, six weeks separated Sanders’ appearances, making his return on Saturday when he scored the only goal of the game against Cheltenham Town, keeping a clean sheet and was the stand-out performer for Ben Gladwin’s side.

“It was strange,” said Sanders of his time out. “When you're injured, you kind of know what the situation is, but I didn’t know how long it was going to go on for, I was just making sure I would get better. Touch wood, I've never had a proper injury to keep me out for a long period, but this has been the thing to keep me out for the longest.

“I was on a long course of antibiotics, and when I came back I probably didn't feel right, but I was working hard in the gym, with the team and I've got myself in a good position to kick on for the rest of the season.

“You take football for granted when you're playing, so when you're not it's difficult, especially when it's your health rather than injury.

“The doctors were brilliant with me, I cannot praise them enough for the care they've given me, especially as I've just come into the building. I've worked as hard as I can to come into the team, and be fit enough to play the full 90 minutes.”

It has been a tumultuous few months for Sanders. Moving from Scotland in January and quickly suffering the kidney infection, he watched on as Scott Lindsey, the man who brought him in, was sacked to be replaced by Ben Gladwin.

Eager to impress Gladwin, Sanders admitted he had to audition for the interim boss, who had barely seen what the defender could bring to the field for him.

Sanders continued: “I wasn't knocking his door down, but I knew the situation he was in, and that he'd only seen me play three times and that he wasn't the man who brought me in.

“He'd seen these boys all season, and understands how they work, but he didn't know the way I did as a footballer. In my first three games too, I wasn't physically at my best and I think my performances showed that. That was all he could go off.

“But one thing I knew from the conversations we had was that I wanted to help this team, be a part of it, make us better and to be a leader on and off the pitch.”