Milton Keynes Dons

Andrew Surman has heaped praise upon the young Dons group for the courage and bravery they have shown this campaign.

The Dons have navigated the majority of the season with an incredibly young core to their side. Zak Jules, Harry Darling, Warren O’Hora, Matthew Sorinola and Ethan Laird have all played key roles in defence – with all five very much in the infancy of their career.

Further forward, Matt O’Riley and David Kasumu have made their names in midfield, with Charlie Brown impressing in front of goal. Not forgetting Andrew Fisher, who has become a mainstay in perhaps the most demanding position in Russell Martin’s side.

“Zak has done really well since he’s come in the team,” Surman told the local media ahead of Saturday’ clash with Portsmouth. “We’ve spoken about Harry [Darling] and Warren [O’Hora] before and it’s a shame Warren is injured because he was growing with every game.

“The responsibility that Harry takes on, it’s not a case of smashing it forward, it’s not a basic way of playing. There is a lot of responsibility put on young players in possession - that’s what makes it more impressive.

“They’ve played with a lot of maturity and responsibility and have been a major part of why we’ve been able to build possession from the back. You have to have a relationship with them and I’ve been really impressed with how much maturity they play with.”

A player that has caught the eye of everyone at Stadium MK this season is Academy Graduate David Kasumu. The youngster is enjoying a breakout campaign having impressed hugely at the beginning of the campaign before suffering an injury prior to the New Year.

Surman spoke highly of the young midfielder praising the energy and grit he brings to the Dons midfield,

“David has really impressed me, he’s a top player with a massive future in the game. He’s someone I’ve enjoyed playing in midfield with. He’s very down to earth and works extremely hard, you can see just how talented he is.

It’s great to have him back from injury and it’ll be really good to see him get a start soon and show what he can do. He loves a tackle and is one of those players who is everywhere. He gets about so well, if a tackle is going in, it’s usually him.

“He is someone you need in the team, he has the physical attributes that you need. He’s strong and quick and gets about well. He’s asked to cover a lot of ground and does so.”