Dean Lewington: EFL's most loyal player on being a reluctant record-breaker at MK Dons

  • ITV News Anglia's Andy Ward chats to Dean Lewington after his record-breaking achievement

If there's a moment that sums up MK Dons stalwart Dean Lewington, it came just after perhaps his greatest achievement.

The final whistle had just been blown following a 1-0 win over Colchester United on Boxing Day, remarkably, the 771st occasion Lewington had represented his club in an EFL match.

"Lewington, Lewington" came the chants from the adoring home crowd, but despite the pleas, the 39-year-old resisted the chance to take centre stage.

That was until his Head Coach Mike Williamson intervened, the latest in a long line of new bosses at Stadium MK Lewington has played under in his near two decades there.

MK Dons fans unveiled a special banner to mark Lewington's achievement. Credit: ITV News Anglia

With Lewington looking content to quietly retreat back to the dressing room without a fuss, Williamson was having none of it, grabbing his captain's hand and urging him to take the acclaim he so richly deserves.

Reluctantly, Lewington obliged - wearing an almost embarrassed look on his face as he forced himself into the briefest of fist pumps in front of the Dons' most vocal supporters.

"If I hadn't done it, it would have got awkward so I thought I'd just get it over and done with," Lewington laughed.

"But yeah, it's been great and it does mean a lot to me. I know I don't always show my appreciation, but I am very touched by everything that's happened so far."

Most EFL appearances for a single club

Former Swindon Town player John Trollope was the previous record-holder. Credit: PA

  • Dean Lewington, MK Dons - 771

  • John Trollope, Swindon Town - 770

  • Jimmy Dickinson, Portsmouth - 764

For Lewington, all the attention that comes with breaking the long-standing record for most appearances for a single EFL club makes him feel uncomfortable.

He's always been someone who prefers to stay away from the limelight and has no interest in chasing likes on social media.

But even Lewington has to concede that the milestone he has reached is incredibly special and may never be matched.

When he first made his debut for the Dons in 2004, he could never have dreamt that he'd still be representing the same club nearly 20 years later.

There have been opportunities to move away, but Lewington has always remained loyal - turning down interest from elsewhere to continue his love affair with the city of Milton Keynes.

During his time at Stadium MK, he's experienced the highs of promotion, including leading the club to its first ever promotion to the Championship in 2015, but also the crushing lows of relegation.

Lewington in one of his first games for MK Dons back in 2004. Credit: PA

It's all resulted in him overtaking former Swindon Town player John Trollope, who had held the record for most EFL appearances for an English club for over four decades, not that Lewington wants to make a big deal of it.

"I just feel very fortunate really. It's not something that I aimed to do or had in my sights," he told ITV News Anglia.

"It's just a by-product of playing football really and I love playing football, and I enjoy doing it every day and enjoy training, and I'm very lucky to have played that many games."And with Lewington still as unwilling as ever to blow his own trumpet, it's up to others to do it for him.

"He's just an unbelievable, humble, hard-working down-to-earth human being so he deserves all the plaudits, as much as he hates it," said Head Coach Mike Williamson.

 "I made him fist pump to the fans, but honestly, what a guy. I think he's fantastic."

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