MK Dons have confirmed that club captain Dean Lewington will retire from playing at the end of the season
The 40-year-old defender will hang up his boots after a career that has seen him play over 900 competitive appearances for the team from Stadium MK.
Lewington, who is the son of former England assistant manager Ray, made 915 competitive appearances for the Dons, having been with Wimbledon FC when they first moved to Milton Keynes in 2003 and played in every season since the club became MK Dons in 2004.
In 2023, he surpassed John Trollope’s record for most league appearances for a single club, while his role call has seen him win a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and win 3 promotions in his time with the Dons. He has made 789 EFL appearances for MK Dons.
Lewington’s match time however had begun to dwindle this season, with the defender making just 4 EFL appearances this season and not playing at all since mid-November.
MK Dons have confirmed that Lewington is seeking to attain his coaching badges in order to become a permanent coach, having previously had three separate caretaker spells in charge of MK Dons.
The club have also confirmed there will be events to mark the end of Lewington’s career, with fans encouraged to celebrate Lewington at the Dons’ final home game of the season against Grimsby Town on April 26th, as well as a formal event to celebrate Lewington’s career after the season ends in May.
MK Dons said, “Dons supporters and people in the city of Milton Keynes are being encouraged to give Dean the send-off he deserves in MK Dons’ final home game of the season against Grimsby Town on Saturday the 26th of April at Stadium MK. This game will mark Dean Lewington Day and will be a special occasion to celebrate Dean and his remarkable efforts over the years.
“Then, on Friday the 9th of May, there will be an opportunity for everyone to come together and thank Dean at An Evening with Dean Lewington, a two-course meal and celebration of Dean’s career with friends and family as well as former coaches and teammates.”