Latest news with #DeanLewington
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Lewington stays with Dons in development role
Long-serving defender Dean Lewington is to stay with MK Dons in a coaching role with the club's newly-formed development 40-year-old had been considering his future after deciding to retire at the end of the season following 917 will work with first-year professional and schoolboy-level players as an individual development coach from the beginning of pre-season."Lewie has been an integral part of this football club from day one, achieving something that I think we all agree will never be seen again," said sporting director Liam Sweeting."We have been so fortunate to lean on Dean's wisdom on the pitch, but his new career path provides an excellent chance to pass on some of his experience to those aspiring to reach the senior level of football, and for Dean to enter the next chapter of his career as a coach."Lewington, who has acted as interim boss on three occasions, already has a Uefa B coaching licence and is now studying for his A of an A licence are eligible to coach men's teams up to and including the second tier. Lewington began his playing career with Wimbledon FC and stayed with them when they made the move to Milton Keynes in was involved in many of the club's biggest moments, winning the EFL Trophy at Wembley in 2008, beating Manchester United 4-0 in the League Cup in 2014 and winning promotion to the Championship in final appearance as a player came as a late substitute in their season-ending game away to Swindon Town on 3 May.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MK Dons legend Lewington to get Freedom of the City
MK Dons captain Dean Lewington will be awarded the Freedom of the City to recognise his contribution to both club and community. Lewington, 40, who retires at the end of this season, has made more than 900 appearances for the Dons, making him the club's all-time appearance record holder. The announcement he would be getting the award - to be presented at a special council meeting - was made at a gala dinner being held in his honour. "Dean Lewington's loyalty to MK Dons and to Milton Keynes is truly remarkable," said Pete Marland, the leader of the city Council. "His commitment, leadership and contribution both on and off the pitch make him an outstanding ambassador for our city and it's a real pleasure to be able to recognise his contributions with this honour," added Marland, a Labour councillor. Jane Carr, a Liberal Democrat councillor who leads the opposition group on the council, said: "It is proper and fitting that Dean is being proposed for this award and I look forward to the Special Council Meeting to celebrate his achievements." Lewington will become only the second individual recipient of the Freedom of the City since Milton Keynes was granted city status in 2022. Leah Williamson, captain of the Lionesses, the England Women's team, was given the honour in 2023. Lewington was part of MK Dons squad that won the EFL Trophy at Wembley in 2008 and were then promoted to the Championship in 2015. In 2023, he set a new English Football League record for the most league appearances for the same club. The Freedom of the City, the highest honour a city council can give, recognises individuals who have provided service to the area. The council said it would announce the date of the special meeting soon. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Ending playing career is 'a bit scary' - Lewington Lewington equals appearance record in MK Dons win 'Prehistoric' Lewington set for 900th appearance MK Dons captain Lewington signs new deal MK Dons Milton Keynes City Council
BBC News
11-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Dean Lewington to be awarded Freedom of City of Milton Keynes
MK Dons captain Dean Lewington will be awarded the Freedom of the City to recognise his contribution to both club and 40, who retires at the end of this season, has made more than 900 appearances for the Dons, making him the club's all-time appearance record announcement he would be getting the award - to be presented at a special council meeting - was made at a gala dinner being held in his honour."Dean Lewington's loyalty to MK Dons and to Milton Keynes is truly remarkable," said Pete Marland, the leader of the city Council. "His commitment, leadership and contribution both on and off the pitch make him an outstanding ambassador for our city and it's a real pleasure to be able to recognise his contributions with this honour," added Marland, a Labour councillor. Second recipient Jane Carr, a Liberal Democrat councillor who leads the opposition group on the council, said: "It is proper and fitting that Dean is being proposed for this award and I look forward to the Special Council Meeting to celebrate his achievements."Lewington will become only the second individual recipient of the Freedom of the City since Milton Keynes was granted city status in Williamson, captain of the Lionesses, the England Women's team, was given the honour in was part of MK Dons squad that won the EFL Trophy at Wembley in 2008 and were then promoted to the Championship in 2023, he set a new English Football League record for the most league appearances for the same Freedom of the City, the highest honour a city council can give, recognises individuals who have provided service to the area. The council said it would announce the date of the special meeting soon. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
09-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ending playing career is 'a bit scary'
Dean Lewington once admitted to being a bit of a footballing dinosaur."As you get older, especially the way modern football is going, over 30s are seen as prehistoric really," he said in the autumn of 2022 as he approached the 900th match of his just over a month away from his 41st birthday, time has finally caught up with the MK Dons defender, who will end his time as a player at the end of the Peter Shilton, Tony Ford, Graham Alexander and Terry Paine have played more senior games in English football than Lewington."It feels quite surreal. Beforehand 'retiring' is just a word, it sounds OK and then it dawned on me that I won't get to play football (any more), which is a little bit scary now that it's come to it," he told BBC Look East."It's been on my mind for maybe two years now and it's just the right time."I was in a Sunday league team at six, in an academy at eight, and I'm now about to turn 41, so three quarters of my life has been playing football. "My whole life will change and that part is unfortunately coming to an end." From Wimbledon to Milton Keynes Lewington played his first league game as an 18-year-old for the old Wimbledon FC against Sheffield Wednesday in April 2003, just a few months before the club relocated to Milton was a controversial decision by the InterMK consortium, headed by Pete Winkelman, and led to them being renamed MK Dons ahead of the 2004-05 season."The news about coming to Milton Keynes was circulating for a year or two, but it was still under the Wimbledon name so it was kind of a weird time," he said. "There was a lot of uncertainty and a lot of noise around the move because it had never happened before. It was a strange time but quite exciting for a young player. "If I'd been mid-career it would have been very different, but for a young player it felt new and a challenge and turned into this (long career)."He continued: "We didn't know where it was at all really....20 years ago there were roads with a lot of piles of sand and dirt where (housing) estates would be (in the future) so it had a different feel about it. "My Mum told me that they offered my nan (a chance) to relocate to Milton Keynes in the 60s or 70s, but she turned it down - so I came instead! "It was all new, most of the boys were from inner London, it was something we'd never come across." MK 'does make sense, it's just a little bit different' Many visiting Milton Keynes for the first time have mixed feelings about it, but Lewington feels right at home."Anyone who comes here says 'I don't understand it' and I kind of understand what they mean from being an outsider coming here," he said. "There are some really nice villages on the outskirts. And when you drive into town you can park right outside the restaurants, whereas in London you have to find a car park and walk 10 minutes, or use public transport. "If you immerse yourself in it, you appreciate why it was designed the way it was and it does make sense, it's just a little bit different."Lewington has had plenty of great moments as a Don, including a 4-0 League Cup win over Manchester United in 2014, in front of a crowd of more than 26, that is not the best memory from his long career."The Yeovil game here (in 2015) to get (promotion) to the Championship is probably the best moment. It took 10 years for us to get to there," Lewington said. 'My peers retired six or seven years ago' Lewington has not played a first-team game since the end of November, but what does he put his longevity down to?"I'm not an explosive player so I don't have a tendency to pull muscles."He added: "My peer groups that I came through with retired six or seven years ago. I feel very fortunate that I managed to stay relatively injury-free which allowed me to play for so long and also that my style of game allowed me to do that. "This last season has been disappointing in terms of how many games I've played but before that I've played most of the season (each year) and it's something that I love doing. It's a job that most people would give their right arm to do."Lewington has been MK Dons interim boss on three occasions but was overlooked for that role when Scott Lindsey was sacked in is currently working to earn his badges with a view to a move into coaching but admits it will be a huge wrench if the path forwards means he has to leave the club."I'm institutionalised now," he said. "It's such a fantastic club. I've poured my life into it for 20 years and it saddens me to see where it is at the moment (in League Two). "There is potential for it to be so much more and I would like to be involved in that, but whatever comes, we'll wait and see."
New York Times
07-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
MK Dons defender Dean Lewington to retire after record-breaking 915 appearances for club
Dean Lewington, who holds the record for most appearances at a single English club, will retire at the end of the season aged 40. Lewington was a member of the Wimbledon squad before the club's reformation and relocation to Milton Keynes, where he went on to play 915 times in all competitions (789 in the EFL). He sits fifth on the list of all-time appearances in the English Football League (EFL). Advertisement The left-back, whose retirement will spell an end to his 22-year-long stay at the club, was a regular feature in MK Dons' defence across the club's spells in the Championship, League One and League Two. In December 2023, Lewington broke John Trollope's record (770) as the player to make the most league appearances for a single English club. He has played a reduced role in recent years, playing nine times in all competitions this season. He featured 49 times in the 2014-15 season which saw MK Dons promoted to the Championship, while also playing in the club's 4-0 League Cup win over Manchester United in the same campaign. Lewington also played a leading role as MK Dons secured two trophies in the 2007-08 campaign, finishing top of League Two while also beating Grimsby Town 2-0 to win the EFL Trophy at Wembley. In the MK Dons' confirmation of Lewington's impending retirement, they said the defender 'has been the face of the football club for more than 20 years, acting as a role mode, spokesperson and ambassador for MK Dons'. Lewington has also acted as head coach on an interim basis on three occasions, following the departures of previous managers Russell Martin, Liam Manning and Mike Williamson. MK Dons added Lewington 'has been working on his badges' with the aim of becoming a coach. He turns 41 in May, after the season has ended. ()
