Twine has come a long way since ‘hopeless’ Swindon Town performance against Dons

Dean Lewington’s first impressions of Scott Twine came last season in a ‘hopeless’ Swindon Townperformance, but since signing forMK Donshas looked every bit a Player of the Year contender.

The 22-year-old has been included on the shortlist for the accolade alongsideRotherham’s Michael Smith andSheffield Wednesday’sBarry Bannanto be namedLeague One’s best, but he barely got a look-in against Dons last season, according to skipper Lewington.

As Dons ran rampant atStadium MKlast April, beating Swindon 5-0 thanks toWill Grigg’s record-breaking four goals, Twine barely made an impression on the game despite being pegged as their main threat by former coach Luke Williams.

Since signing for Dons in the summer though, Lewington said Twine, who leads Dons in scoring and assists this season, has lived up to the reputation Williams gave him

Lewington said: “We played against him last season, and Luke Williams had worked with him at Swindon and was singing his praises, saying we cannot let him shoot from anywhere in our half! We were on alert to him.

“But in that game, to be fair Swindon were hopeless and I don’t think he hardly touched it!

“When he arrived, we knew his reputation but from those first few sessions, you could see his ability and his shooting was evident straight away. It wasn’t a surprise but he has come on leaps and bounds since coming here.

“Good players can make it look like they've got more time than they do, and he's a smart player. He knows where he needs to be and finds those pockets that defenders find really hard to pick up. If he turns, he's got a shot on him and he can pass as well. He's been excellent.”

Head coach Liam Manning said the accolade is ‘thoroughly deserved’ but said there were many of his players who could also have been given the nod for the prize this season too.

“He's been terrific,” said Manning. “The numbers speak for themselves, but the numbers don't show the work he puts in behind the scenes. He's here doing extra gym work, does his video clips regularly and he works so hard out of possession too.

“Our defence, our clean sheets start at the front and he's a part of that. He rightly deserves all the plaudits he gets.

“There have been so many strong performers this year, and it's hard to single people out, but Twiney is one of them. We've had so many at a high level, and that's so important to have throughout our team. It gives you a platform to be competitive in games and get results.”