 Lewington in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dean Scott Lewington[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1984-05-18)18 May 1984 (age 40)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Kingston upon Thames, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Left-back /Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Milton Keynes Dons | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2003 | Wimbledon | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2004 | Wimbledon | 29 | (1) |
| 2004– | Milton Keynes Dons | 789 | (21) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2021 | Milton Keynes Dons (caretaker) | ||
| 2022 | Milton Keynes Dons (caretaker) | ||
| 2024 | Milton Keynes Dons (caretaker) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:10, 16 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
Dean Scott Lewington (born 18 May 1984) is an English professionalfootballer and coach who plays as aleft-back, as well as acentre-back forEFL League Two clubMilton Keynes Dons, where he isclub captain.
Lewington is Milton Keynes Dons' longest-serving player and, as of 26 December 2023[update], holds the record for the most career league appearances by any player for a single club in the history of theEnglish Football League. On that date, Lewington achieved his771st career League appearance againstColchester United, overtakingJohn Trollope who held the previous record of 770 appearances forSwindon Town.[4]
Born inKingston upon Thames, London,[2] Lewington made hisWimbledon first team debut on 5 April 2003, coming on as a last-minute substitute forAlex Tapp in a 4–2First Division defeat toSheffield Wednesday atHillsborough, his only appearance ofthe season.[5]
On 1 November 2003, he made his first start, in a 2–1 win overBradford City at theNational Hockey Stadium, their first victory in Milton Keynes.[6] He scored his first goal on 26 December in a 3–0 win away toReading at theMadejski Stadium, headingAdam Nowland's cross for the second of the game.[7] Lewington was sent off for violent conduct near the end of the team's 0–3 home defeat toCoventry City on 21 February 2004.[8] At the end of the season, Wimbledon were relegated.[9]
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Havingmoved toMilton Keynes in 2003, Wimbledon were relaunched in 2004 asMilton Keynes Dons, in the newly renamedLeague One. Lewington almost moved toHuddersfield Town in 2005 in an exchange deal involvingPawel Abbott, however Abbott chose to stay at Huddersfield thus ending their interest. As of November 2024[update], Lewington is the only former Wimbledon player atMilton Keynes Dons.[10]
He received the MK Dons captaincy after the departure ofKeith Andrews toBlackburn Rovers in August 2008. On 21 March 2011, Lewington led his team to a 1–0 victory over promotion rivalsPeterborough United. The Dons reached the play-offs but were defeated by Peterborough. On 2 December 2012, Lewington captained his side againstAFC Wimbledon in their highly publicised first meeting. On 12 January 2013, Lewington made his 400th league appearance for Milton Keynes Dons againstBury.
Lewington scored his only goal of the 2013–14 League One season in the last minute of a 3–2 victory overStevenage atBroadhall Way. The 2–2 draw withRotherham United at theNew York Stadium on 26 April 2014 saw Lewington make his 500th appearance for Milton Keynes Dons in all competitions. To celebrate his 500th appearance for the club, supporters of Milton Keynes Dons got together for the last home game of the season againstLeyton Orient, and wore as much orange as possible (due to Lewington's hair colour). This campaign was dubbed "Orange4Lewie" and gained some publicity from Twitter, Facebook and other social media.
On 3 May 2015, Lewington scored twice and assisted two further goals as the Dons defeatedYeovil Town 5–1 on the final day of the season to earn their first promotion to theChampionship.[11] On 20 May 2014, Milton Keynes Dons announced a testimonial match against Nottingham Forest would be played in honour of Lewington's ten years of service for the club. The match was played on 27 July 2014 atstadium:mk although 4,121 attended the game, of whom 1,286 were from Nottingham Forest.[12] At the time of his testimonial, Lewington had amassed over 500 appearances in league and cup competitions for Milton Keynes Dons.
Between January and May 2018 Lewington temporarily worked in a player-coach role for the club under then managerDan Micciche.[13] Lewington achieved his 600th league appearance and 700th appearance in all competitions for the club in January 2019 in consecutive games againstCrewe Alexandra andGrimsby Town.[14][15] During the2018–19 season he played a key role in the club's automatic promotion fromLeague Two, playing every league game during the campaign and achieving his third automatic promotion with the club.[16]
Lewington signed a further contract extension with the club in July 2020, at which point he was the longest-serving player for a single club in theFootball League.[17] On 18 March 2021 – on the verge of his 800th appearance for the club – his contract was extended once again taking him into his 18th season with the MK Dons.[18] On 29 April 2021, Lewington's 800th appearance was recognised as the Moment of the Season at the 2021EFL Awards.[19] He was named Milton Keynes Dons Player of the Year for the 2020–21 season on 7 May 2021.[20]
On 3 August 2021, just four days before the beginning of the2021–22 season, MK Dons announced Lewington would take over as interim caretakermanager following the departure ofRussell Martin, whilst the club sought a permanent replacement.[21] On 11 September 2021, Lewington made his 700th league appearance for the club in a 1–0 victory overPortsmouth.[22] On 3 May 2022, Dean Lewington signed a new contract until 2023, taking him into his 19th season with the club.[23]
Despite relegation in the2022–23 season, Lewington extended his contract with the club and was included in the Dons' retained list on 20 May 2023.[24] On 26 December 2023, Lewington made his 771st league appearance for MK Dons, setting a new record for most career league appearances by a player for a single club in the history of theEnglish Football League, a record previously held bySwindon Town'sJohn Trollope since 1981.[4]
On 11 January 2024, in recognition of his record-breaking appearances and contribution to the club's perfect league record during the month prior, Lewington was named theEFL League Two Player of the Month for December 2023.[25]
On 16 May 2024, shortly before his 40th birthday, Lewington signed another contract extension lasting until 2025.[26][27] On 20 August 2024, Lewington was awarded thePFA Merit Award for 2024 in honour of his services to football.[28]
On 19 September 2024, Lewington became caretaker head coach of the club for a third time following the departure ofMike Williamson toCarlisle United.[29]
He is the son of formerEngland assistant managerRay Lewington,[7] and the cousin of fellow footballerLuke Ayling.[30] Lewington has two daughters: Willow (born 2017)[31] and Lottie (2020).[32]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Wimbledon | 2002–03[33] | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2003–04[34] | First Division | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 31 | 1 | ||
| Total | 29 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 32 | 1 | |||
| Milton Keynes Dons | 2004–05[35] | League One | 43 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 1 | 48 | 3 |
| 2005–06[36] | League One | 44 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 51 | 1 | |
| 2006–07[37] | League Two | 45 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 52 | 1 | |
| 2007–08[38] | League Two | 45 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6[a] | 0 | 53 | 0 | |
| 2008–09[39] | League One | 40 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | 46 | 2 | |
| 2009–10[40] | League One | 42 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5[a] | 1 | 50 | 2 | |
| 2010–11[41] | League One | 42 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3[d] | 0 | 50 | 3 | |
| 2011–12[42] | League One | 46 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3[e] | 0 | 55 | 4 | |
| 2012–13[43] | League One | 38 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 1 | |
| 2013–14[44] | League One | 43 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 49 | 1 | |
| 2014–15[45] | League One | 41 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 49 | 3 | |
| 2015–16[46] | Championship | 46 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 50 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17[47] | League One | 36 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 41 | 1 | |
| 2017–18[48] | League One | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[f] | 0 | 28 | 0 | |
| 2018–19[16] | League Two | 46 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 49 | 1 | |
| 2019–20[49] | League One | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[f] | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| 2020–21[50] | League One | 43 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[f] | 0 | 50 | 0 | |
| 2021–22[51] | League One | 44 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[g] | 0 | 47 | 0 | |
| 2022–23[52] | League One | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 28 | 0 | |
| 2023–24[53] | League Two | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[f] | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| 2024–25[54] | League Two | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[f] | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| Total | 789 | 21 | 49 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 49 | 2 | 915 | 24 | ||
| Career total | 818 | 22 | 52 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 49 | 2 | 947 | 25 | ||
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Milton Keynes Dons (caretaker) |  | 3 August 2021 | 13 August 2021 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | +0 | 000.00 | [55] |
| Milton Keynes Dons (caretaker) | | 11 December 2022 | 23 December 2022 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 033.33 | |
| Milton Keynes Dons (caretaker) | | 19 September 2024 | 25 September 2024 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 000.00 | [29] |
| Total | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | −4 | 020.00 | ||||
Milton Keynes Dons
Individual
Records
...Ray Lewington, Hodgson's long-time assistant and confidant, is Ayling's uncle.
