MK Dons have re-signed goalkeeper Jamie Cumming on loan from Chelsea.
Cumming, who kept 10 clean sheets in 23 appearances while on loan with the Dons last season, will spend the 2022/23 campaign at Stadium MK.
The 22-year-old shot-stopper played a key role in the Dons’ third-place finish last term, producing a number of important saves following his arrival in January.
Along with his loan spell at Gillingham, Cumming finished the campaign as the EFL’s top goalkeeper in terms of prevented goals (10.46) and ranked fourth in the division for total saves (140).
He becomes the seventh signing of the summer, following on from the arrivals of Matt Dennis, Ethan Robson, Jack Tucker, Nathan Holland, Conor Grant and Darragh Burns.
“I am buzzing to be back,” Cumming told iFollow MK Dons. “I’ve always had it in the back of my mind that I would like to come back if things were right so I’m glad it’s done and I am looking forward to getting going again.
“I am very ambitious and I want to play at the highest level but the timing is right in my career for me to come back here, keep playing games and keep developing as a player and a person.
“I had a great relationship with Pricey, Franco and Ronnie and I am looking forward to working with them once again, as well as getting to know some of the new faces who have joined this summer.”
Born in Winchester, Cumming joined Chelsea at the age of eight and progressed through the various age groups before signing professional terms with the Blues in November 2018.
While yet to make his senior bow for the Stamford Bridge outfit, Cumming has made a dozen EFL Trophy appearances for their Under-21s while he was also a named substitute in Chelsea's 4–1 UEFA Europa League Final victory over Arsenal in May 2019.
Cumming joined Stevenage on loan in August 2020 and went on to total 47 appearances for the Hertfordshire club, keeping 18 clean sheets and helping them finish with the third best defensive record in Sky Bet League Two. He also put together a run of 684 minutes without conceding a league goal – the most amongst all goalkeepers in England in 2021.
Last summer, Cumming joined Gillingham on loan and immediately established himself as first-choice between the sticks. He featured 20 times in total for the Gills, keeping four clean sheets before moving to Stadium MK and adding a further 23 games and 10 clean sheets to his name – finishing the season with a record of 14 shut-outs in 43 games.
Sporting Director Liam Sweeting said: “This is an excellent signing for the Football Club. We all saw the impact Jamie made when he signed in January and we're obviously delighted we have been able to have him with us again for this season.
“As a Club we are in good credit with Premier League teams as a destination for some of their most promising and talented young players and it is critical we make the correct decisions to ensure we make best use of the loan market for ourselves.
“Jamie is a great example of an ambitious and extremely talented player who wants to help us achieve our targets this season.”
“Sweeting added: “I'd like to thank Carlo Cudicini and Chelsea for trusting us once again this season.”
Head Coach Liam Manning commented: “We all saw the impact Jamie had on the team last season, so we are delighted to have him back with us. He is a top goalkeeper at this level and a good character as well - he is certainly someone who bolsters our squad.
“He made huge improvements during his time working with Lewis Price and I am confident that will continue this season and we will reap the benefits.”
Goalkeeper Coach Lewis Price said: “We are really pleased to have Jamie back. He had a big part to play in the success we last season so to be able to get him back is a big plus for the Club.
“He made real progress last season, on and off the pitch, and I feel we are getting back a higher-level goalkeeper. From a continuity point of view, it’s great to reunite a goalkeeper unit that worked so well together last season with Franco and Ronnie.”
