Aaron Collins swapped a spot in Bolton’s side for a place at Milton Keynes Dons last June, dropping a division with the expectation that he would dominate the Sky Bet League Two campaign. The optimism was well‑founded; in the 2024/25 season he had been honoured as Bolton Wanderers’ Player of the Year after netting 19 goals and providing five assists across 55 matches in all competitions.
After completing a medical examination in Dubai – following a leisurely off‑season trip to Thailand and Bali – Collins officially became the Dons’ record signing, with a reported fee of around £800,000. The club and its supporters were eager to see a return on that investment.
Unfortunately, his debut at home against Oldham on 2 August turned into a nightmare. "In the first game of the season I ended up breaking my shoulder," Collins recalled. "It should have been a penalty, but the referee didn’t award one, which made it even more frustrating. I kept playing, thinking I’d just jarred it, but an X‑ray on Monday confirmed a fracture and I was ruled out for six to eight weeks.
It felt like a punch in the gut because I was buzzing with that new‑club energy and ready to make a big impact." The injury forced him onto the bench for six league fixtures and a Carabao Cup first‑round loss to Bristol City. He finally returned as a substitute in the 1‑1 draw at Chesterfield on 13 September, and three days later celebrated a goal in a 5‑1 Vertu Trophy defeat to West Ham’s U21 side. Yet his comeback was short‑lived; a hamstring pull in a training session later that week sidelined him for another two months. "I’d never experienced a lay‑off that long before," he admitted.
"Usually it was just a knock or a minor ankle tweak that I could play through. This was mentally draining.
I used the time to put myself in the shoes of other players who had gone through similar spells – something I’d never truly understood before. It was oddly refreshing for my mindset." Collins earned his first league start since the opening day on 20 December against Harrogate, and repaid the faith with a brace in a 4‑0 victory. "The excitement came back instantly," he said. "I thought, this is my chance to prove why I’m here." By mid‑February he had enjoyed roughly three months of uninterrupted football, believing injuries were finally behind him.
He scored the decisive goal in a 1‑0 win over his former club Newport on 14 February, only to suffer another setback a few minutes later. Both he and teammate Callum Paterson went off with ankle‑ligament damage; Collins was initially told he might need surgery. "It felt like the season was being taken away from me at a crucial stage – with just a dozen games left," Collins explained. "Paterson’s injury was worse, so I pushed myself to recover quickly.
In the end I missed only two games and had about ten days out. I worked hard to control swelling and pain, and now I’m focused on making up for lost time." He emphasized the importance of starting matches: "When I’m in the starting XI I can influence the game far more. I’m just playing my natural game, trying to be the focal point.
Since Paterson is out, I’ve had to step up – he was on fire before his injury." Collins also reflected on a superstitious saying that bad luck comes in threes, adding humorously, "I’m done with that now – I can just concentrate on helping the team earn promotion." With only two fixtures remaining, MK Dons sit on the brink of ending their longest spell in League Two – three seasons – and returning to the higher tier. Collins has already tasted promotion, having helped Bristol Rovers ascend in 2021/22, a night he famously celebrated atop a traffic light.
This time he jokes that a roundabout might be his celebration spot: "There are plenty of roundabouts to choose from around here!" He summed up his feelings about the current push: "There’s a saying in football that nothing feels better than promotion. I probably spent half the season injured, but being involved in the other half and contributing to a promotion chase with 25‑30 lads is a memory I’ll cherish forever. I still think about the surprise promotion with Bristol Rovers – it was an unexpected, joyous shock. Here, we’ve hit form at the right moment and head into the final games with massive confidence." Looking ahead, Collins hopes for a drama‑free next season, but he knows the roller‑coaster of this campaign will stay with him for a long time.
The final two games will determine whether MK Dons can cap off a successful season and secure the promotion that has seemed just out of reach for so long.