Morris and Lewington impress Dons boss at Doncaster

There are 12 years between Dean Lewington and Carlton Morris, but Russell Martin feels both are his on-and-off-field leaders.

Lewington is the longest-serving player at any one club in the country with in excess of 750 appearances for the club, while Morris has made just 12 since signing in January, though the pair were equally vocal on the pitch against Doncaster on Saturday.

Martin, who was a vocal presence himself in the dressing room before taking over as manager back in November, said his team needs more leaders and believes in Morris and skipper Lewington, he has the sort of characters he needs.

The manager said: "Carlton is such a big player for us in the build-up, defensive set pieces, in the dressing room and he leads by example. He has a great way of making everyone feel important, it's a human quality he has had from a very young age. He makes everyone feel involved and included. He's a massive part of our culture."

"Deano has been brilliant through pre-season and was excellent again today. He leads by example. He, Lee Nicholls and Jordan Houghton have to take so much courage on the ball, and they set the tone. He's in the best physical shape since I've been at the club and he believes what we're trying to do. He's such a clever player.

"A lot of people undervalue that experience, know-how and game understanding. We're extremely grateful to use that to best affect our team. Sometimes he needs to calm down a bit but it's part of who he is and I wouldn't change him for anyone."