MK Dons have a plethora of young talents coming through their youth system, one of them being Brooklyn Ilunga.
Ilunga was handed his first professional contract at MK Dons in October 2021 and went on to make seven appearances for the Dons before joining seventh tier side Royston Town.
MK Dons’ squad has seen a number of players released this summer, including a number of academy products. But 18-year-old wing-back Ilunga will remain at MK Dons for the upcoming 2022/23 campaign.
Despite impressing in his seven outings for the Dons, manager Liam Manning saw fit to loan the teenager to non-league side Royston Town, where he made eleven appearances and scored one goal.
He is a very quick and agile player with excellent technical and dribbling abilities, traits that would see him suit the attacking full-back role at MK Dons whether it is as a regular starter or as a bit-part squad player.
With the Dons currently lacking depth in squad numbers, Manning could look to utilise Ilunga more next season as opposed to signing an extra wing-back to cover Dan Harvie and Tennai Watson – as they did with the signing of free agent and former Coventry City defender Brandon Mason.
In light of MK Dons’ failure to be promoted to the Championship this past season, third-tier football could be a good way to integrate Ilunga into league football.
Gaining experience is key, especially at such a young age. He has spent the last two years in and around the first-team set-up and should be looking to make the next steps as an MK Dons player and not out on loan.
