MK Dons are not exactly a team that garner a huge amount of attention in this part of the world. They are a side who bounce between League One and the Championship and don't exactly have the most appealing history behind them.
In saying that, Ireland fans should be keeping an eye on their progress in the coming months.
That is due to the presence of three hugely promising Irish talents at the Stadium MK, all of whom have really come into their own in recent weeks.
Warren O'Hora, Troy Parrott, and Conor Coventry are all set to play key roles for the club in the months ahead as they chase promotion.
The trio started in the victory over Lincoln City yesterday, a result that moved them up to third in the table. Centre back O'Hora actually scored the winner with a well taken strike in the second half, assisted by Parrott.
The 22-year old joined MK Dons on a permanent deal from Brighton in January of last year, having initially impressed on a loan deal. He since gone from strength to strength, starting every single one of the club's 31 league fixtures this season.
As for Parrott, he is becoming an increasingly integral part of the side.
Having struggled in loan spells at Millwall and Ipswich Town last season, he has flourished during his temporary switch in this campaign. The goals haven't quite arrived at the rate he would have hoped for, although he has managed to contribute in other ways.
Speaking to the MK Citizen after yesterday's game, MK Dons boss Liam Manning said he has been very impressed with the forward's progress.
Troy has had to be patient for his chance. He's shown a level of energy and intensity, he looks sharp and there is a challenge for him to keep that. He played a massive part.
I speak to him all the time, we're always talking to all of them about their levels of performance. When I pick a team, I pick what the team needs, and the challenge for the players is to force their way into it.
People forget Troy is still developing. He's so young. He burst onto the scene and when that happens, the level of pressure and expectation goes through the roof.
He's in a good spot. He now has to keep at this level and recognise why he's playing well and reflect and continue doing that. He looked good against Lincoln.
As Manning alludes to, it is easy to forget just how young Parrott is. Despite being under the watchful eye of the Irish footballing public for quite some time, he only turned 20-years old earlier this week. It is massively encouraging that his game is becoming more well rounded and not built entirely around goals.
Conor Coventry is a recent arrival at the club, having only joined on loan from West Ham in the January transfer window. He had struggled for playing time at Peterborough in the first half of the season and saw that loan spell cut short.
Despite this, the midfielder has been thrown straight in at the deep end at his new club. He has started all four of their fixtures since arriving at MK Dons.
All three of these players will have international ambitions at the forefront of their minds. Coventry and O'Hora have yet to make their senior debuts, something they will look to change over the remainder of 2022.
Parrott has already won ten caps for Ireland, although he has yet to nail down a place in the team. He has also seemingly fallen behind the likes of Adam Idah, Callum Robinson, and Chiedozie Ogbene in the pecking order for attackers. A strong finish to the season could see him given more opportunities, with Ireland set to play six times before the end of June.
It is certainly worth keeping an eye on their progress in the weeks and months ahead.
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