MK Dons have signed experienced midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker on a deal until the end of the season, confirmed by their club website.
The 33-year-old once moved from West Ham to Villa for £7.5m in 2007.
Reo-Coker started his career with Wimbledon and captained the side in Milton Keynes during the 2003/04 season. He has gone to feature over 470 times during his career, with 205 of those appearances being made in the Premier League for clubs such as West Ham United, Aston Villa and Bolton Wanderers – all teams that he captained.
Reo-Coker has also played abroad for sides including Vancouver Whitecaps, Chivas USA and Montreal Impact. He is a former England Under-21 captain, and both an FA Cup and a CONCACAF Champions League finalist.
But he was a free agent after leaving Norwegian side IK Start in June. Reo-Coker has been training with the Dons for three weeks and featured in the last two Under-23s fixtures.
Reo-Coker said “I’m very happy to get the deal over the line. This a great opportunity for me and I’m thankful to Dan for giving me this opportunity.”
“I’ve enjoyed my time here so far. The atmosphere of the Club makes it so easy to settle in and everyone has been great since I’ve been here – from the backroom staff to the supporters. There is a real family-friendly atmosphere which is what the original foundations of the Club is built on.”
“I feel good and I feel like I have good foundations to build upon. Right now, we are in a results situation – we’ve started to get results, which is important, but now it’s about keeping that winning mentality going. It’s a relegation fight and we just have to make sure we get the wins we need.”
Dan Micciche said “I’m pleased to have Nigel signed until the end of the season. First and foremost, credit must go to Nigel because from day one here he has worked hard and has been a positive influence around the place.”
“We are light in the midfield having lost Alex Gilbey to injury so he provides us with another option there. He brings huge experience and great leadership qualities, which will be invaluable to us – we have some big games coming up and he has that experience of how to handle high-pressured situations.”
“We are both comfortable with the agreement we’ve got and I’m sure he will add to what we are doing here.”
MK Dons are 22nd in League One and two points from safety with nine games remaining.
