Aaron Collins swapped Bolton for MK Dons last June, dropping a tier to take on the challenges of Sky Bet League Two. The move made sense on paper: the striker had just been crowned Wanderers’ Player of the Year for the 2024/25 campaign, having netted 19 times and added five assists across 55 appearances in all competitions. After a routine medical in Dubai – following a brief holiday that took him through Thailand and Bali – he signed as the Dons’ record signing, with a reported fee of around £800,000. The club and its supporters expected him to justify the price tag and become a decisive goal‑scorer.

Unfortunately, his debut at home to Oldham on 2 August turned into a nightmare. "In the first game of the season I ended up breaking my shoulder," Collins recounted.

"It should have been a penalty, but the referee didn’t award one, which made it even more frustrating. I kept playing thinking it was just a knock, but an X‑ray on Monday confirmed a fracture. The doctors gave me a six‑to‑eight‑week lay‑off." The injury felt like a cruel blow at a moment when he was eager to cement his place in the squad and make an immediate impact. While he recovered, the Dons slipped through six league fixtures and a first‑round Carabao Cup loss to Bristol City without him.

Collins finally returned to the pitch as a substitute in a 1‑1 draw at Chesterfield on 13 September. Three days later he found the net in a 5‑1 defeat to West Ham United’s U21 side in the Vertu Trophy, suggesting that his form was returning. However, misfortune struck again: a hamstring pull in a training session later that week kept him out for another two months. "I’d never been in that situation before," he admitted.

"I’d never had an injury that kept me out for more than a game or two. It was mentally draining. I used to think I could play my whole career without a serious setback, but reality hit me hard." The forced downtime gave Collins a chance to empathise with teammates who had previously endured long‑term injuries.

"I could finally put myself in their shoes and understand what they were feeling. That mental shift was surprisingly refreshing," he said. His first league start since the opening day arrived just before Christmas, when MK Dons faced Harrogate. Collins seized the moment, scoring twice in a 4‑0 victory.

"The excitement came back," he smiled. "I thought, this is the time to kick on and show why I’m here." By mid‑February, Collins had enjoyed roughly three months of uninterrupted football. Injuries seemed a thing of the past—until a clash with former club Newport on 14 February. He scored the decisive goal in a 1‑0 win, only to suffer an ankle‑ligament injury in the same half.

Team‑mate Callum Paterson was also forced off with a similar problem. Initial medical reports suggested Collins might need surgery, a prospect that threatened to derail his season during a crucial run‑in with twelve or thirteen games remaining.

"It felt like something was trying to take the season away from me," he reflected. "Paterson’s injury was worse, so I knew I had to return quickly. Fortunately, I only missed two games and spent about ten days in rehab. I worked hard to control swelling and pain, and now I feel good.

My only worry is making up for the time I lost." Collins emphasised the difference between coming off the bench and starting. "When I’m in the starting XI I can influence the game much more. I’m trying to be the focal point, to play my natural game and help the team push for promotion.

Since Paterson has been out, I’ve had to step up and fill the void; he was on fire before his injury." He laughed about the old football superstition that bad luck comes in threes. "I felt it was three strikes and I was done, but now I’m just focused on getting back into the side and playing a huge part in getting us promoted," he said.

With only two matches left in the season, MK Dons are perched on the brink of promotion. A three‑year spell in League Two – the longest in the club’s brief history – is about to end.

Collins has already tasted promotion before, lifting Bristol Rovers up in 2021/22 and celebrating on top of a traffic light that night. This time, he jokes, a roundabout might be the more realistic landmark. "There’s plenty to pick from round here!" He summed up his feelings about the current campaign: "There’s a saying in football that there’s no better feeling than promotion.

I probably spent about half the season injured, but being involved in the other half and contributing to a promotion push with a squad of 25‑30 lads is a memory I’ll cherish forever. I still think about the surprise promotion with Bristol Rovers – it was an unexpected, enjoyable shock. Here, we’ve hit form at the right time and we head into the final games with massive confidence." Looking ahead, Collins hopes for a quieter, injury‑free next season, but he knows the drama of this year will stay with him for a long time.

The final two fixtures will determine whether MK Dons join the ranks of League One clubs, and Collins is determined to be a key figure in that story.