Ben Gladwin made his first competitive outing in 792 days when coming off the bench in MK Dons’ draw at Coventry City on Saturday.

Gladwin went to train with the League One club after his short-term deal expired at Rovers at the end of 2019 and did enough to earn himself a permanent deal.

And less than 24 hours after signing, the 27-year-old made his first competitive appearance since November 2017 when he was introduced as a 72nd minute substitute in the 1-1 draw at Coventry City.

He has battled back from three separate knee operations, playing twice for Rovers Under-23s in the meantime, with his character praised by MK Dons boss Russell Martin.

“He originally came in for training to keep his fitness up but he’s grabbed his opportunity,” Martin told his club’s website.

“He’s been unfortunate with injuries recently but he looks to be in a good place and he’s shown us the quality he possesses during training.

“It’s a good sign when the players are coming up to me and asking when we are signing him.

“He’s a good character and a very good player. He’s got a number of good attributes and he also brings with him a real physical presence. We’re very pleased to have him.”

Gladwin signed for Rovers from QPR in the summer of 2017 but made just 11 appearances in all competitions before injury struck.

And he said: “I’m delighted to get this done.

“I’ve been training here for a few weeks now. Originally, I initially came in to stay fit but I really enjoyed it and we started talking off the back of that. I’m excited to be an MK Dons player now.

“There are a great bunch of lads here, who have welcomed me into the dressing room right away.

“The team is looking to play football the right way and that’s something that suits me. I look forward to getting started properly.”