Swindon Town interim manager Gavin Gunning has admitted the club are interested in signing on-loan midfielder Dawson Devoy from MK Dons permanently.
The youngster has been with The Robins since January and has played 15 times. He has three goals and one assist in that time, including two from the bench in a scintillating second-half display in the 3-2 win over AFC Wimbledon last weekend.
The Irishman, who spent some time on the bench before joining Gunning’s squad, has slightly slid down the hierarchy at his parent club. They were allowed to temporarily let Devoy go since Dan Kemp had returned to the Dons.
Having only won five games since the start of the season, the Robins have had a challenging season and are currently ranked 19th in League Two. In spite of this, the club has benefited greatly from the signing of the 22-year-old.
He has played for the Republic of Ireland under-21 team seven times, coming off the bench in a 2-0 victory over Luxembourg in October 2021.
Although Devoy’s contract does not expire until the next summer, Gunning told the Swindon Advertiser that he would really like to sign the young player to a long-term contract, ideally this summer:
“100% (I believe he might return for the following season). He seems to enjoy both his time here and the job we are doing, in my opinion. We have been working hard to help him get better, and I believe that while he has been here, his game has improved.
We have been working to help him get better, and I believe that while he has been here, his game has improved.
When he first got here, he tried a diagonal through the ball, moved, and played sideways.
However, he is now getting beyond the striker and he looks like a real threat.
Since Nnamdi (Ofoborh) entered the team in the last few games, we haven’t really had a number six in the lineup. However, we have been attempting to insert everyone into that position to see if anyone can fill it.
Dawson was playing at a better level, so when he first arrived, I believed he was one of our finest players, if not the best.
“However, Sads (Saidou Khan) had to play the deeper position due to his injury, which limited his impact going forward, as you saw over the weekend when he scored two goals.”
After losing to Grimsby Town 2-0 yesterday, Swindon will play Morecambe in their season-ending matchup next.
Even when a player’s parent club no longer needs him, it’s always good to watch them resurrect their career. If this does indeed happen, Devoy deserves it since he seizes the opportunity he was given in Wiltshire.
It’s encouraging to see Swindon planning ahead, trying to improve, and thinking ahead after a challenging season. Given his age, he has the potential to be a future star who brings in a sizable sum of money for the Robins, depending on his development.
