The 2023–24 season is the 20th season in the history of Milton Keynes Dons and their first season back in League Two since the 2018–19 season following relegation from League One the previous season. The club will also compete in the FA Cup, EFL Cup and EFL Trophy.
The season covers the period from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024.
Managerial changes After the departure of Mark Jackson following the conclusion of the 2022–23 season, the club appointed Graham Alexander as their new head coach. Alexander had most recently been the manager of Scottish Premiership side Motherwell.
On 16 October 2023, Alexander was sacked after a run of eight league games without a win, having taken charge of only sixteen games in all competitions since his appointment. The following day, the club named Mike Williamson as their new head coach. Williamson had most recently been the manager of National League side Gateshead.
Current squad
No. Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth (age) Previous club Date signed Fee Contract end Goalkeepers 31 Ronnie Sandford GK Academy 1 July 2022 Trainee 30 June 2024 32 Michael Kelly GK Leixlip Carlisle United 9 September 2023 Free 30 June 2024 33 Filip Marschall GK Cambridge Aston Villa 19 January 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 Defenders 2 Cameron Norman RB Norwich Newport County 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2025 3 Dean Lewington (captain) LB Kingston upon Thames Wimbledon 1 July 2002 Free 30 June 2024 4 Jack Tucker CB Whitstable Gillingham 1 July 2022 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 5 Warren O'Hora CB Dublin Brighton & Hove Albion 18 January 2021 £200,000 30 June 2024 14 Joe Tomlinson LB Swindon Peterborough United 1 September 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 21 Daniel Harvie LB Glasgow Ayr United 27 July 2020 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 26 Anthony Stewart CB Brixton Aberdeen 1 September 2023 Loan 31 May 2024 29 Kyran Lofthouse RB Oxford Barnsley 9 January 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 Midfielders 6 MJ Williams DM Bangor Bolton Wanderers 11 July 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 8 Alex Gilbey (vice-captain) AM Dagenham Charlton Athletic 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2025 11 Jack Payne AM Tower Hamlets Charlton Athletic 30 August 2023 Loan 31 May 2024 17 Ethan Robson CM Houghton-le-Spring Blackpool 1 July 2022 Free 30 June 2024 19 Brooklyn Ilunga LM Croydon Academy 1 July 2021 Trainee 30 June 2024 24 Stephen Wearne AM Stockton-on-Tees Gateshead 6 January 2024 Undisclosed 30 June 2027 50 Lewis Bate CM Sidcup Leeds United 19 January 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 Forwards 9 Ellis Harrison CF Newport Port Vale 1 September 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 18 Max Dean CF Ormskirk Leeds United 19 January 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2024 22 Emre Tezgel CF Burton upon Trent Stoke City 1 February 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 27 Dan Kemp RW Sidcup Leyton Orient 31 January 2022 Undisclosed 30 June 2024 30 Matthew Dennis CF Hammersmith and Fulham Norwich City 1 July 2022 Undisclosed 30 June 2024 Out on loan 1 Craig MacGillivray GK Perth Burton Albion 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2025 7 Jonathan Leko RW Kinshasa Birmingham City 13 January 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2024 10 Mohamed Eisa CF Khartum Peterborough United 20 July 2021 £1,250,000 30 June 2024 12 Nathan Harness GK Charlton Athletic 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2025 16 Conor Grant CM Dublin Rochdale 1 July 2022 Undisclosed 30 June 2024 20 Darragh Burns RM Stamullen St Patrick's Athletic 4 July 2022 £150,000 30 June 2024 23 Joel Anker AM Academy 1 July 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 25 Phoenix Scholtz RB Academy 4 August 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 28 Dawson Devoy AM Ashbourne Bohemian 13 July 2022 £100,000 30 June 2025 34 Callum Tripp CM Academy 7 September 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 35 Charlie Waller CB Academy 1 July 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 Left club during season 15 Tommy Smith CB Macclesfield Colchester United 28 July 2023 Free 30 June 2025 22 Ashley Hunter LW Derby Morecambe 4 August 2023 Free 30 June 2025
Transfers In DatePosPlayerTransferred fromFeeRef 1 July 2023 AM Alex Gilbey Charlton Athletic Free Transfer GK Nathan Harness Charlton Athletic Free Transfer GK Craig MacGillivray Burton Albion Free Transfer RB Cameron Norman Newport County Free Transfer 12 July 2023 DM MJ Williams Bolton Wanderers Undisclosed 28 July 2023 CB Tommy Smith Colchester United Free Transfer 4 August 2023 LW Ashley Hunter Morecambe Free Transfer 1 September 2023 LB Joe Tomlinson Peterborough United Undisclosed CF Ellis Harrison Port Vale Undisclosed 9 September 2023 GK Michael Kelly Carlisle United Free Transfer 6 January 2024 AM Stephen Wearne Gateshead Undisclosed
Out DatePosPlayerTransferred toFeeRef 22 June 2023 CF Will Grigg Chesterfield Undisclosed 30 June 2023 CB Jack Davies Banbury United Released CM Junior Gyamfi Watford U21 Released CM Bradley Johnson Derby County Released LW Lewis Johnson Free agent Released LW Sullay Kaikai Cambridge United Released GK David Martin Southend United Released CM Josh McEachran Oxford United Released GK Franco Ravizzoli Wycombe Wanderers Released RB Tennai Watson Charlton Athletic Released 22 July 2023 CB Charlie Smith Berkhamsted Free Transfer 28 July 2023 CB Zak Jules Exeter City Undisclosed 5 August 2023 DM Matt Smith St Johnstone Undisclosed 24 August 2023 LW Nathan Holland Forest Green Rovers Undisclosed 26 January 2024 LW Ashley Hunter AFC Fylde Mutual Consent 6 February 2024 CB Tommy Smith Macarthur FC Mutual Consent
Loaned in DatePosPlayerLoaned fromUntilRef 30 August 2023 AM Jack Payne Charlton Athletic End of Season 1 September 2023 CB Anthony Stewart Aberdeen End of Season 9 January 2024 RB Kyran Lofthouse Barnsley End of Season 19 January 2024 GK Filip Marschall Aston Villa End of Season CM Lewis Bate Leeds United End of Season 1 February 2024 CF Emre Tezgel Stoke City End of Season
Loaned out DatePosPlayerLoaned toUntilRef 18 July 2023 RW Dan Kemp Swindon Town 1 January 2024 12 August 2023 GK Ronnie Sandford King's Lynn Town September 2023 3 October 2023 CB Charlie Waller Billericay Town 31 October 2023 25 November 2023 LM Brooklyn Ilunga Wealdstone 28 January 2024 CB Charlie Waller Banbury United 23 December 2023 8 December 2023 RB Phoenix Scholtz Kettering Town TBD 15 December 2023 AM Joel Anker Biggleswade Town TBD 2 January 2024 RM Darragh Burns Shamrock Rovers 1 November 2024 5 January 2024 AM Dawson Devoy Swindon Town End of Season 18 January 2024 GK Craig MacGillivray Stevenage End of Season 26 January 2024 RW Jonathan Leko Burton Albion End of Season 30 January 2024 CF Mohamed Eisa Exeter City End of Season 2 February 2024 CM Conor Grant Barnsley End of Season 15 March 2024 CM Callum Tripp St Albans City End of Season 22 March 2024 AM Joel Anker Hitchin Town TBD 23 March 2024 GK Nathan Harness Gateshead End of Season
Pre-season and friendlies The club's first pre-season friendly was announced on 1 June 2023, with an away fixture against National League side Wealdstone. A day later two more friendlies were announced, with the club facing both Coventry City and Northampton Town at Stadium MK. A fourth pre-season friendly was also announced on June 5, against Barnet.
The club also played a behind closed doors fixture whilst on a short training camp in Germany, playing newly promoted 2. Bundesliga team VfL Osnabrück.
Competitions Overall record
EFL League Two
League table
Results summary
Results by round
Matches The league fixtures for the 2023–24 season were announced on 22 June 2023. The club's opening game of the season will be away to newly promoted Wrexham on 5 August 2023 with the final game of the season being at home to Sutton United on 27 April 2024.
Play-offs
The club finished the regular season in fourth place in the league table and met Crawley Town, the team that finished seventh, over two legs in the play-offs. The first leg took place at Broadfield Stadium with the second leg at Stadium MK.
The first leg was due to take place on 6 May, but was postponed until the following day due to a waterlogged pitch. As a result the second leg, originally scheduled for 9 May, was rescheduled to 11 May.
FA Cup
In the first round proper, the club were drawn away to Reading.
EFL Cup
The club were drawn at home to Wycombe Wanderers in the first round.
EFL Trophy
In the group stage draw, MK Dons were drawn into Southern Group F alongside Northampton Town, Oxford United and Chelsea U21s.
After topping the group, the club were drawn at home to Brighton & Hove Albion U21s in the Round of 32 draw.
Group stage
Knockout stages
Club statistics Goalscorers Correct as of match played on 11 May 2024
Note: The list is sorted by surname when total goals are equal. Rank No. Pos. Player League Two FA Cup EFL Cup EFL Trophy Play-offs Total 1 18 FW Max Dean 15 1 0 2 1 19 2 8 MF Alex Gilbey 13 1 0 0 0 14 3 9 FW Ellis Harrison 8 0 0 0 0 84 11 MF Jack Payne 6 0 0 1 0 714 DF Joe Tomlinson 7 0 0 0 06 30 FW Matthew Dennis 4 0 0 1 0 510 FW Mohamed Eisa 5 0 0 0 08 7 FW Jonathan Leko 3 0 0 1 0 422 FW Emre Tezgel 4 0 0 0 024 MF Stephen Wearne 4 0 0 0 011 21 DF Daniel Harvie 3 0 0 0 0 327 FW Dan Kemp 3 0 0 0 05 DF Warren O'Hora 3 0 0 0 014 20 MF Darragh Burns 0 0 0 1 0 128 MF Dawson Devoy 0 0 0 1 029 DF Kyran Lofthouse 1 0 0 0 035 DF Charlie Waller 0 0 0 1 06 MF MJ Williams 1 0 0 0 0Own goals 3 0 0 0 0 3Totals 83 2 0 8 1 94
Home attendances Correct as of match played on 11 May 2024
Note: The list omits the FA Cup as the club did not play a home match in the competition. CompetitionTotalMatchesHighestLowest AverageLeague Two 157,673 23 11,282 4,962 6,855EFL Cup 2,946 1 2,946 2,946EFL Trophy 4,141 3 1,704 789 1,380Play-offs 10,053 1 10,053 10,053Totals174,81328 6,243
Awards
Recipient AwardMonthRef Graham Alexander EFL League Two Manager of the Month August Max Dean EFL Young Player of the Month October Mike Williamson EFL League Two Manager of the Month December Dean Lewington EFL League Two Player of the Month Callum Tripp EFL League Two Apprentice of the Season n/a Alex Gilbey EFL League Two Goal of the Month March
References
External links