Suspension was a learning experience for Dons midfielder Devoy

His recent suspension will have been a huge learning experience for Dawson Devoy, according to Liam Manning.

The 20-year-old was sent off earlier this month for a two-footed challenge on Shrewsbury’s Jordan Shipley, earning him a straight red card and a three-match spell on the sidelines.

The midfielder was able to play in the Papa John’s Trophy game against Walsall last week, but is yet to take control of a game in the way Manning and Sporting Director Liam Sweeting expected when they signed him.

Devoy has had a patchy start to life at Stadium MK after completing his move from Irish side Bohemians in the summer, but the head coach hopes his time out of the side will help him further understand what it takes to make it in League One.

Manning said: “It has been a great learning experience for him in terms of the discipline you need in League One, and to be consistently available for selection.

“He's learned bundles in the first few months here, and he will be a great player here in time. Now it's about fine-tuning and understanding how he can impose himself on games for long periods.

“He's got someone terrific in Josh McEachran to learn from, but he has to bring his strengths and run a game. That's a quality he has, he can dictate a game in those central areas.

“He has been working hard in training and in the gym, he got some good minutes in against Walsall and we're glad to have him back available for selection.”