Former Town striker Connor Wickham has joined the MK Dons where he is reunited with his one-time Blues academy coach Liam Manning, the head coach with the Buckinghamshire club.

Wickham, 28, left Preston at the end of a short-term deal earlier this month.

“This is a great opportunity for me and one I couldn’t say no to,” Wickham told iFollow MK Dons.

“Me and the Gaffer go way back — he was one of my first coaches — and I have a few other connections here but, ultimately, this a chance for me to join a great club with huge potential and hopefully I can become a good addition to our push in the second half of the season.

“There is a great dressing room here and the manager has a good idea for where he wants to go with this team. I want to be a part of that journey and hopefully there’s an exciting few months to come for all of us.”

Manning said: “Connor is a player I have coached previously and I am looking forward to working with him again here at MK Dons.

“I can’t speak highly enough of his character, first and foremost, while he has also proven, throughout is career, what a top player he can be. He will certainly bolster our squad, on and off the pitch, for the remainder of the season.”

Dons sporting director Liam Sweeting said: “Connor is somebody I know personally from my time at Crystal Palace while he worked under Liam Manning during his Academy days at Ipswich Town.

“We invited him to train with us following his departure from Preston North End and has since expressed a real desire to sign on here at MK Dons and contribute towards our goals in the second half of this season.

“He certainly provides us with a different option in attack while his experience from playing, and scoring, at the highest level will certainly be of benefit to us in the important few months ahead.”

Wickham came through the Town academy and became the club's youngest-ever first-team player when he made his debut in April 2009 aged 16 years and 11 days.

The England U21 international departed for Sunderland for an initial £8.1 million fee in the summer of 2011, then having had spells on loan at Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United, he moved on to Crystal Palace in 2015.

Another spell with the Owls followed before he was released by the Eagles last summer when he joined Preston.

Photo: Action Images

Vancouver_Blue added 18:22 - Jan 21 If he can stay free from injuries he will be an asset to any club
2

ThaiBlue added 18:30 - Jan 21 They might be lucky and get 30mins out of him.
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therein61 added 18:36 - Jan 21 Shame he had so many injury probs otherwise with his potential he could have made it as a top player.
2

fifeblue added 20:02 - Jan 21 Connor Wickham had the potential to be a top player but he left Ipswich too soon and went to the wrong club.
6

Edmundo added 20:08 - Jan 21 One of the lost generation: we could have had such a team then, with Supple, Wickham, Rhodes, Garvan, adding to the players we had like Walters.
6

KernewekBlue added 21:00 - Jan 21 Another promising talent departed Town for a chance at the "Big Time" and fell foul of the curse of "The Grass Is Always Greener". It didn't take him long to disappear into obscurity, fading away into the ether of English football, a forgotten man, who might reappear from time to time for a fleeting second before vanishing back into the shadows. What a waste. I always thought about how it might have turned out for him and us if he hadn't been sold off. I bet he does too! Anyway, injury prone players are something we don't need around here. Good luck to him, but I fear the Dons won't get much change out of his wages while he warms the physio's bench every week. Oh, what might have been. COYB

4

dirtydingusmagee added 21:13 - Jan 21 totally agree with previous comments , a lost boy, one of several over the years .
0

superblues9 added 21:19 - Jan 21 They always leave a year or 2 to early don't they him Ambrose spring to mind couple more years playing at our level or even being loaned back to us would of done him world of good
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muhrensleftfoot added 21:27 - Jan 21 Hope he stays injury free and rips it up in League One. He can have one bad day - against us next month. Otherwise wish him well
1

Fatboy added 21:43 - Jan 21 "A great club."
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bobble added 22:13 - Jan 21 made the wrong career choices and ended up nowhere ,sort of like town...
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Runner added 22:44 - Jan 21 I laughed when I read his comment 'great club'. I have been to a few of their games as have a mate that supports them. It is a great stadium but would be better if they could fill it up a bit more.
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superblues9 added 22:49 - Jan 21 Should of got him ourselves!
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Saxonblue74 added 08:06 - Jan 22 Remember watching him at PR when he was a young lad(guessing 17) whilst Newcastle were giving us a hiding. He looked a class above anyone else on the pitch and immensely strong for such a youngster. Shame his career didn't reach the heights it promised. Agree with other comments that he left us too soon, that's the modern way unfortunately. Agents have their own interests at heart, not the players.

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ArnieM added 10:09 - Jan 22 Another example of a player rarely gig enough to kick a ball yet is probably a multi millionaire. How the other half live eh !
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grinch added 10:13 - Jan 22 Was good business by Town when you look at what he has done well done those at the time we also saved on his fathers wage so it was win for town. Good luckbto him but let's concentrate on the present with the players we have here COYB
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