Milton Keynes Dons

The young Dons face Manchester United at Stadium MK this Friday evening in the Academy’s annual showcase fixture. Kick-off is at 7pm.

They will be looking to make it another memorable occasion following on from last year’s thrilling 3-0 victory over FC Barcelona but the experiences that will be gained are of most importance to Higgs, who is looking forward to the evening.

“It’s important that the boys get the ultimate experience,” Higgs told MK Dons PlayerHD ahead of the match.

Tickets for Friday’s match are priced at just £5 for adults and £1 for under-18s, while Academy Supporters’ Draw members can attend for FREE – this includes current members as well as those who have signed up for 2017/18.

To book tickets click here, visit the Box Office at Stadium MK/kiosk at centre:mk or call 0333 200 5343.

“The game itself will give them a taste of what is to come because, if everything goes to plan for them, this should be the first of many experiences in front of crowds at big stadiums. Providing them with that experience as early as possible, allows them to be confident when they go on and eventually make their debuts.”

He continued: “We’ve done a lot of work since January in making sure this game goes ahead and also that the month leading up to the match is of a real high-quality for the boys.

“We were very grateful to have Barcelona here last year and we wanted to make sure we had enough top-quality opposition coming to the stadium to face us this year so we’re pleased that Manchester United have agreed to come down.”

“Playing against Category 3 teams, which we do on a weekly basis, is beneficial as part of our regular programme but it’s also great to be able to add these games against high-quality opposition, where they’ll be playing in front of fans too – it’s a real highlight of our programme.