Former Wigan Athletic forward makes shock drop into League Two in head-coach role

The 51-year-old has been out of the game since February, when he parted company with Championship strugglers Derby County, with whom he won promotion last term.

That was one of FOUR third-tier promotions on Warne's CV, the other three coming with Rotherham United.

“I’m over the moon to be joining MK Dons at such a pivotal moment in the club’s history," he said. "The potential of the team under the ownership of Fahad (Al Ghanim, chairman) and the board is truly limitless, and I’m extremely grateful to be given the opportunity to manage the side over the coming years.

"This is an amazing project, and we're so excited to drive it forward. I can’t wait to get on the grass, we have some talented players in the squad who we're really looking forward to working with. I’d like to thank Fahad, Neil (Hart, CEO) and Liam (Sweeting, sporting director) for putting their faith in us and I can’t wait to meet the Dons’ supporters on Friday.”

Chairman Al Ghanim said: "Paul Warne is a phenomenal football manager and I'm absolutely delighted he'll be joining us at MK Dons - he was our number one choice. Having met with him, I was extremely impressed, not only with his vision for the team but also with his character.

"I truly believe Paul was the best manager available to us, and I'm thrilled to have secured his services at Stadium MK on a long-term deal. I'd like to congratulate Paul and thank him for his belief in the project and the fantastic opportunity we have at our club. It's my hope we can now enter pre-season full of optimism while looking ahead to an exciting future with Paul at the helm."

CEO Hart said: “Paul is undoubtedly a first-class head coach, this appointment marks a new era for MK Dons that will look a little bit different from what has come before. Paul will work closely with the owners and the executive team to bring sustainable success to our football club.

"Following an exhaustive and comprehensive interview process, Paul was the standout candidate and for us represented a huge step in the right direction. His incredible record in the EFL speaks for itself, and we’re confident we’ve appointed a bona fide winner whose pragmatism and adaptability on the pitch will take us forward.”

Sporting director Sweeting said: “This is, quite simply, a massive appointment for MK Dons. Paul is someone we’ve admired for a long time. Paul will undoubtedly help us develop further as a football club and play a key role in driving us forward on this journey under our new ownership group.

"We’ve seen first-hand what can happen when performance on the pitch connects with the people of Milton Keynes in the stands. We truly believe that, under Paul’s leadership, we can re-establish that connection - playing an exciting, attacking brand of football and building the right culture and environment to give our first-team squad the clarity they need to succeed. We’re also really pleased to welcome Richie Barker back to Stadium MK and look forward to working closely with both him and Paul in the years ahead.”