MK Dons: Man Utd win 'puts us on map', says Karl Robinson
Last updated on .From the section Football
MK Dons boss Karl Robinson hopes the 4-0 League Cup thrashing of Manchester United can help legitimise his club.
Dons chairman Pete Winkelman controversially moved Wimbledon FC to Milton Keynes 11 years ago, with the team rebranded as MK Dons a year later.
Robinson said: "We get a lot criticism nationally for obvious reasons.
"But I don't think anybody can talk about our birth or our existence in the Football League from now on. We've well and truly put ourselves on the map."
| MK Dons goal hero Will Grigg |
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| "I've got a lot of family who are Manchester United fans. There are millions of children and probably adults out there who dream about that. It was a great feeling." |
The unprecedented manner in which the club were founded has been a constant source of controversy. MK were able to keep hold of the old Wimbledon's Football League place after the Dons were moved 80 miles from south London to Buckinghamshire.
But the League Cup second round win against Louis van Gaal's side is the biggest result of MK's history and was played in front of a record 28,000 sell-out crowd at Stadium MK.
A Jonny Evans error gifted Will Grigg a first-half opener and the MK striker chested in a second after the hour mark.
Arsenal loanee Benik Afobe then hit his own double to compound United's misery as the away side managed just two shots on target all match.
"The most emotional part was before kick-off. It took my breath away," said Robinson, who is the Football League's fifth longest-serving manager, having been in charge since 2010.
"When you've had over 200 games at one club, and you see that this evening, that's the bit I'll remember.
"I'm still only 33. For me to be that age and have this experience like we did tonight - but it's not about Karl Robinson.
"They can tell their grandkids about this for forever and a day. I'm so proud of them."
Winkelman is hopeful that the club can build on the result and increase their fanbase in a growing town.
"This is the kind of game that hopefully in a few years' time people look back at and say 'were you there?'. It's history in the making and that could make a big difference to the club going forward," he said.
"Quite a few thousand people were here for the first time.
"Does it have an affect on whether people think they can be associated with a team? I think it can make a massive difference."