Former Ipswich Town defender Tommy Smith has signed for League Two MK Dons after his departure from Colchester United earlier in the summer.
Academy product Smith, now 33, played almost 300 games for Town between 2007 and his departure in January 2018, scoring 24 goals.
He left for the Colorado Rapids in the MLS, spending two years there before signing for Sunderland in January 2020.
He only lasted a few months with the Black Cats - never making an appearance - and subsequently heading to the U's in August 2020, where he played 95 times and served as club captain before being released in the summer along with six fellow former Town players.
His move to the recently-relegated Dons will see him face his old colleagues against next season.
Smith said: "It’s brilliant to get the deal sorted and over the line.
"I’m delighted to be here and hopefully I can help contribute to a successful season.
"I got a call from the gaffer to see if I’d be interested in coming in to train and I jumped at the chance.
"I have enjoyed my couple of weeks here so far, getting to know the manager and the players, so it was an easy decision to sign.
"This is quite a young squad and I know the gaffer wants me to come in and use my experience as much as I can, on and off the pitch.
"First and foremost, I want to contribute on the pitch and help the team get points on the board but naturally I’ll try and be an experienced voice and help the players around me."
🗣 "I’m delighted to be here and hopefully I can help contribute to a successful season"
— Milton Keynes Dons (@MKDonsFC) July 28, 2023
Follow the link to watch Tommy Smith's first interview with iFollow MK Dons 👇
Dons' head coach Graham Alexander added: "Adding Tommy’s abilities on the pitch, as well as his character off it, will be a big thing for us.
"He’s a no-nonsense defender, who will go in where it will hurt but he’s also someone who is tactically aware and can pass that information on to the team.
"He played in the pre-season game against Barnet and then came with us to Germany.
"We liked how he trained and how he interacted with everybody. He also showed us how motivated he is to contribute to the team this season.
"Already, in the short space of time that he’s been with us, we have seen him pass on the experience and knowledge he has from playing at a higher level and internationally.
"However, he’s not coming in to just be a mouthpiece for us – he’s motivated to be a valuable player for us."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here