Milton Keynes turns orange for Dean Lewington Day, as the club legend retires

Milton Keynes celebrated the Football Club’s biggest icon in true football fashion as Dean Lewington, the veteran defender, bows out of his playing career.

As Stadium MK became a sea of orange in tribute in honour of their longest-serving player, having began his career over 20 years ago, he bows out as the Dons’ oldest ever player, at 40 years and 343 days.

Having broken the all-time football league record for most appearances for one club, amassing a total of 790 games, he will hold a record that in all likelihood, never be eclipsed.

Having become a club legend and achieved cult-hero status, he has several trophies and moments that will live in the Milton Keynes Dons folklore for years to come.

From achieving a double cup-winning season in the 2008/2009 campaign, winning the EFL League Two and the Football League trophy, then becoming Club captain for the promotion-winning campaigns of 2014/2015 and 2018/2019, and, the famous 4-0 dismantling of Manchester United in 2014 to name but a few.

Lewington began his career as a left back and played the vast majority of his career in that position, towards the latter end of his playing days, the left-footer found himself transitioning into a centre back and forged a successful component in a string of defensive partnerships.

Had it not been for a string of unfortunate scenarios, he could have had further glory.

Having suffered the heartache of three failed playoff forays, each time falling in the semi-finals in the Dons’ quest for a return to Championship football, to being a wrongly disallowed goal away from Last Two promotion last season.

Lewington bows out with 948 appearances to his name, 24 career goals and 59 assists to his name.

The 40-year-old does hold one record that you could class as unwanted too, albeit tongue-in-cheek.

Lewington is the only player to play in a professional match where nine of his teammates were not yet born when he first stepped out for his debut in 2003.

When the Dons took the field against Arsenal U21s in October 2024, four of the starting lineup and all five substitutes brought on were not yet born when Lewington first took the field as a substitute away to Sheffield Wednesday on 4^th April 2003.

Striker Callum Hendry donned an orange wig in the warm up

In his final appearance, the Dons faced Grimsby Town in the penultimate game of the season, with the match being advertised and promoted as Dean Lewington Day.

Several former teammates and colleagues; David Martin, Ian McLoughlin, Wade Small, Dean Bowditch to name a few, turned out to see Lewington’s final display.

On the 67^th minute, the whole ground stood and applauded when the curtain was brought down, as the veteran departed when substituted.

Both sets of fans stopped to applaud and every player from both sides made a beeline to acknowledge the defender as he exited.

The game itself was an affair which saw both sides hit the woodwork, but, these were outliers as the match did not have masses of quality.

Whilst both teams huffed and puffed, the opportunities carved were pot shots from range, or forays into the respective penalty areas that were stabs and untimed headers.

The best two chances for either side arrived in injury time at the death, both from crosses into the box but both saw their chances squirm narrowly wide.

As the game ended 0-0, the result mattered little to Milton Keynes given the fact they were safe from relegation and had little to play for, yet for the visitors, it is not the scoreline they would have hoped for, as David Artell’s sides playoff hopes were dealt a deathly blow.

The final words must lie with Dean Lewington.

Heralded by the Buckinghamshire outfit’s supporters as their leader and legend, his some of his records will never be surpassed and it may well prove to be that Milton Keynes never has a player with such a legacy and longevity again.