The 2015/16 campaign will be Matt Upson’s 19th as a footballer and the defender says he holds just as much passion for the game as he did at the start of his career.
Former England international Upson spent last season with Premier League outfit Leicester City back in May but, after speaking to manager Karl Robinson, he opted to join the Dons on a one-year deal.
“I’m very pleased to be here and I’m excited about the new challenge,” he told MK Dons PlayerHD. “This is a Club that is growing in stature and it’s an exciting place to be.
“I had a meeting with (Karl) a while back and we had a chat about one or two things as well as my requirements being a slightly senior player now. We also talked a lot about the style of play and it’s something I will hopefully fit into well.
He continued: “I just love playing football and I want to play football for as long as I can - if I didn’t have that passion or desire to want put some boots on and play, then I wouldn’t do it.”
Having been without a club for two months before move to stadiummk, Upson is a little behind the rest of the squad in terms of match sharpness but the 36-year-old is confident once he’ll be game ready in no time.
“You tend not to lose the base fitness, it’s just a case of making your body feel well and getting that real match sharpness.
“I’ve been doing a lot of my own work – I’ve done six weeks of really hard conditioning on things I need to focus on personally. I feel I’m getting close to being ready to step into the group and play some football."
He added “I want to play every week just like every footballer at every club. You train Monday through to Friday to play on the Saturday. I’d like to play as often as I can – I don’t myself being incapable of playing on a regular basis, even though I’m a bit older.”
Watch the Dons in action this Saturday when they take on Rotherham United in their Sky Bet Championship opener - tickets are priced at £23 adults, £13 over-65s, £8 for under-18s and £6 for under-12s.
To purchase tickets click here, visit the Box Office/thecentre:mk kiosk or call 0333 200 5343.
“I’m very pleased to be here and I’m excited about the new challenge,” he told MK Dons PlayerHD. “This is a Club that is growing in stature and it’s an exciting place to be.
“I had a meeting with (Karl) a while back and we had a chat about one or two things as well as my requirements being a slightly senior player now. We also talked a lot about the style of play and it’s something I will hopefully fit into well.
He continued: “I just love playing football and I want to play football for as long as I can - if I didn’t have that passion or desire to want put some boots on and play, then I wouldn’t do it.”
Having been without a club for two months before move to stadiummk, Upson is a little behind the rest of the squad in terms of match sharpness but the 36-year-old is confident once he’ll be game ready in no time.
“You tend not to lose the base fitness, it’s just a case of making your body feel well and getting that real match sharpness.
“I’ve been doing a lot of my own work – I’ve done six weeks of really hard conditioning on things I need to focus on personally. I feel I’m getting close to being ready to step into the group and play some football."
He added “I want to play every week just like every footballer at every club. You train Monday through to Friday to play on the Saturday. I’d like to play as often as I can – I don’t myself being incapable of playing on a regular basis, even though I’m a bit older.”
Watch the Dons in action this Saturday when they take on Rotherham United in their Sky Bet Championship opener - tickets are priced at £23 adults, £13 over-65s, £8 for under-18s and £6 for under-12s.
To purchase tickets click here, visit the Box Office/thecentre:mk kiosk or call 0333 200 5343.
