Josh McEachran has signed a new deal to remain at Stadium MK, Milton Keynes Dons are delighted to announce.
The midfielder’s contract with the Club expired the end of June but, today, he has finalised terms to continue his career with the Dons.
McEachran moved to Stadium MK in January and made 14 appearances, playing his part in a positive end to the 2020/21 season. The Chelsea Academy product has 231 career games to his name, the majority of which have come in either the Premier League or the Championship.
“I’m really excited to be back,” the 28-year-old told iFollow MK Dons in an exclusive interview. “It’s been a long few weeks, getting things sorted, but I’m delighted to be here again and I’m excited for season ahead.
“This was a perfect fit for me last season and I was able to come in, get 14 games under my belt and help the team finish the season strong. I absolutely loved my time here so it was a no brainer to come back here.
“Unfortunately, I suffered with Covid this summer which has meant I’ve only just been able to start my pre-season training. It will take me some time to get up to speed but, week by week, I’m feeling fitter and stronger – hopefully it won’t be too long before I’m back on the pitch.”
Born in Oxford, McEachran joined Chelsea’s Academy at the age of seven and helped the Blues win the FA Youth Cup in 2010. That same year, he made his senior debut as a substitute in a UEFA Champions League tie with Zilina.
The midfielder went on to make 22 appearances for Chelsea, 11 in the Premier League, while also enjoying loan spells at Swansea City, Middlesbrough, Watford, Wigan Athletic and Vitesse Arnhem.
In July 2015, McEachran joined Brentford for a reported £750,000 and played 102 games for the Bees before moving to Birmingham City where he spent the next two seasons.
He joined MK Dons in January 2021 after leaving St. Andrews and established himself as a regular in Russell Martin’s midfield during the second half of the 2020/21 campaign.
Manager Russell Martin told mkdons.com: “We’re really pleased to be able to keep Josh at the Club. We all know how good he is from what he was able to do last year – he is a fantastic footballer who was getting better and better every week.
“We will have to get him back into a top physical condition over the next few weeks before he’ll be able to add to us on the pitch. Once he’s back, I’ve no doubt that he’ll give us that control and confidence in the middle of the pitch.”
Sporting Director Liam Sweeting added: “This is excellent news. We’re delighted Josh has re-signed with us as we have seen first-hand his ability to provide control, structure and ability to progress our attacks from a deep position.
“Collectively, we will have to be patient as Josh goes through his return to training but we very much look forward to watching him dictate proceedings at Stadium MK again soon.”