During the October international break, and the two snooze-fests of England games during them, the significant yet under-reported fact of AFC Wimbledon overtaking Milton Keynes Dons in league position for the first time in their histories. This was a fantastic achievement for the side from Kingsmeadow, as of course many know the evocative story behind this. Tonight, Britain’s most unusual derby (if it can be called that) will have its second outing in a league game, with MK running out 1-0 winners at Stadium:MK in the reverse fixture in December. Seeing this pop up on my Twitter timeline, it got me thinking: how will this controversial chapter affect the long-term future of English football at national team level? MK Dons have a squad full of talented youngsters, many of whom are probably good enough to make the step up - as proven by the stunning debut season of Dele Alli at Tottenham last year, and his continued good form this. With the New Town of Milton Keynes being a previously untapped area for footballers before the controversial events of 2002’s independent commission, does this mean that those events may actually be good for the future of the English national team?
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Milton Keynes's most famous son celebrates scoring a goal at Bramall Lane
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