MK Dons have signed experienced striker Cameron Jerome to bolster their attacking options.
Jerome, who left Turkish top-division side Göztepe at the end of last season, has put pen-to-paper on a deal at Stadium MK. The transfer is subject to international and EFL clearance.
The frontman has scored 138 career goals for the likes of Cardiff City, Birmingham City, Crystal Palace, Stoke City, Norwich City, and Derby County – 80 of which have come in English football’s second tier.
Jerome has won promotion to the Premier League on three occasions, while he also has an EFL Cup winners medal to his name.
Upon joining MK Dons, Jerome said, “I'm delighted. I've spoken to Russ a few times over the summer, about the project he has here and it felt like the perfect fit for me to come and play football. I've been out of the country for a couple of years, but I wanted to come back to England and MK Dons is the perfect fit for me.
“With Russell at the helm and the younger players coming through, I have the opportunity to bring something on and off the pitch. In that respect, it seems like the right fit for me, especially with the style of football he wants to play. It's a great place to come and play and I'm excited to get going.”
Born in West Yorkshire, Jerome began his career with Huddersfield Town and enjoyed youth spells with Grimsby Town, Sheffield Wednesday, and Middlesbrough before earning a contract with Cardiff City in 2004.
The striker made his debut as an 18-year-old in a Championship clash with Leeds United and went on to 27 goals in 79 for Bluebirds, earning a move to Birmingham City in May 2006 for a reported £3 million.
Jerome spent five years at St. Andrews, where he scored 41 goals including a spectacular strike against Liverpool during the 2009/10 season. He twice helped the Blues to promotion to the Premier League while he also featured in their EFL Cup win in 2011.
That summer, the former England Under-21 international joined Stoke City for a fee believed to be £4 million. He enjoyed three years with the Potters, while also spending time on loan with Crystal Palace.
Jerome completed a £1.5 million move to Norwich City in August 2014 and returned to goalscoring form, finding the net 42 times in 138 games for the Canaries, as well as enjoying a third career promotion to the Premier League.
Another £1.5 million transfer saw him head to Derby County midway through the 2017/18 season. He scored six goals in only 20 appearances for the Rams, before making the move to Turkey’s side Göztepe on Deadline Day in August 2018.
Jerome played in 49 league matches for the Super Lig club, scoring six goals and helping them twice retain their top-division status.
Manager Russell Martin added, “I’m really happy, Cameron is a player I spoke to a lot during this transfer window, he had to clarify his situation with regards to his situation in Turkey and he had a lot of offers abroad and in England.
“I’m really pleased he’s decided to come play for MK Dons, it’s a real bit of experience for the group and will add to what Dean and Richard bring. Most importantly, we’ve signed someone who is really hungry to show what he’s still got, he’s not lost any of the power of pace he’s shown regularly throughout his career.
“He’s really going to add to us as a group, the strikers we’ve got, and the process we’re working on. He really buys into everything we are doing and he’s going to be a really good signing for us.”
