Sam's explosive emergence on the first team scene has been one of the success stories of the season so far, with the youngster living up to the high expectations of fans close to the Academy.

Casting aside the weight of expectation brought about by becoming the first graduate of the Milton Keynes Academy, Sam has been in sparkling goalscoring form during his first season as a first team regular. By the halfway point of the 2008/09 season the 19-year-old was top of the Dons scoring charts with 10 goals from 19 starts.

The Club were quick to respond to his early-season form by signing him to a new long-term contract and he looks set to remain at the sharp end of the Dons' challenge for promotion to the Championship.

Having joined the Club as a 14-year-old, Sam has scored goals at every level of the Academy in what has been a meteoric rise. At the tender age of 16 he was already making headlines after scoring a stunning four goals in a 4-0 FA Youth Cup win over Brighton and Hove Albion.

He made one start and eight substitute appearances in the Dons' Double-winning 2007/08 season before lighting the blue-touch paper for the current campaign with his first goal in a pre-season friendly against Reading.