MK Dons have signed Sunderland striker Will Grigg on loan, reuniting the Club with their leading goalscorer from the 2014/15 promotion-winning season.
Grigg, 29, netted 22 times in just 50 appearances during a prolific campaign at Stadium MK, helping to fire the Dons to a second-placed finish and their first-ever promotion to the Championship.
The Northern Ireland international, who has scored 127 career goals, will bolster Russell Martin’s strikeforce for the remainder of the 2020/21 season. He will wear the number 9 shirt during his second spell with the Club.
“I’m so pleased to be back,” Grigg told iFollow MK Dons. “I’m grateful to everyone at the Club for getting this one over the line and I can’t wait to get going again.
“I absolutely loved my time here before. I had such a successful spell, scoring goals and winning promotion and, as soon as I knew about the interest, it was something I wanted to push through.
“Anyone who knows me from my time here previously, knows that if balls are put in the right areas for me, I will score goals. I’m feeling really good at the moment and I’m itching to get back playing.”
Born in Solihull, Grigg began his career in non-league before joining Walsall, with whom he turned professional in 2008.
His form with the Saddlers, 28 goals in 109 games, earned him a move to Brentford in July 2013. He spent two seasons at Griffin Park, helping the Bees to promotion from League One in the first year while doing the same for MK Dons the following season, scoring 22 goals.
A move to Wigan Athletic then followed for Grigg and during his three-and-a-half years in Greater Manchester, he netted 65 times – including a 26-goal 2017/18 campaign as he recorded a third career promotion to the second tier.
Grigg signed for Sunderland on Deadline Day in January 2019 and has spent the past two years with the Black Cats.
Russell Martin told mkdons.com: “We looked into it earlier in the window and it wasn’t something that was possible. As soon as things changed, he was somebody that, of course, we were interested in.
“A lot of clubs wanted him but he only wanted to come here. That desire from him, and the hard work of the Chairman, Andy and Liam at our end, meant we were able to get it over the line and I’m delighted we have.
“He’s had a difficult couple of seasons but, in my eyes, Will is still one of the best goalscorers at this level and I believe we are the right place for him to get going again. We look forward to working with him.”
