MK Dons have signed attacking midfielder Ben Gladwin on a free transfer.
The 27-year-old has been training with the Dons since leaving Blackburn Rovers at the start of January, but has now made his move to Stadium MK a permanent one.
Gladwin, who stands at 6ft 3in tall, arrives having scored 15 goals in 83 career appearances for the likes of Swindon Town, Queens Park Rangers and Blackburn Rovers.
He becomes Russell Martin’s second signing as MK Dons manager and will wear the number 17 shirt.
“I’m delighted to get this done,” Gladwin said in an exclusive interview with iFollow MK Dons, after putting pen-to-paper on his deal.
“I’ve been training here for a few weeks now. Originally, I initially came in to stay fit but I really enjoyed it and we started talking off the back of that. I’m excited to be an MK Dons player now.
“There are a great bunch of lads here, who have welcomed me into the dressing room right away. The team is looking to play football the right way and that’s something that suits me. I look forward to getting started properly.”
Born in Reading, Gladwin progressed through the John Madejski Academy before spending time in non-league with Wallingford, Hayes & Yeading United, Windsor & Eton and Marlow.
He moved into professional football with Swindon Town in November 2013 and went on to star for the Robins, netting 11 goals in 39 appearances and helping the Wiltshire outfit reach the Sky Bet League One Play-Offs in 2015.
Gladwin’s form earned him a move to Sky Bet Championship outfit Queens Park Rangers in 2015. Two years later, he made the switch to Blackburn Rovers and spent two seasons at Ewood Park before leaving earlier this month to seek pastures new.
“He originally came in for training to keep his fitness up but he’s grabbed his opportunity.” Martin told mkdons.com.
“He’s been unfortunate with injuries recently but he looks to be in a good place and he’s shown us the quality he possesses during training. It’s a good sign when the players are coming up to me and asking when we are signing him!
“He’s a good character and a very good player. He’s got a number of good attributes and he also brings with him a real physical presence. We’re very pleased to have him.”
