Will Grigg has returned to Milton Keynes Dons - this time on a permanent basis - following the conclusion of his Sunderland contract this summer, the club have confirmed.

The 31-year-old has put pen-to-paper on an undisclosed-length contract with Liam Manning's side, having had two separate stints at the Dons on loan during his career.

The first of those came in 2014 when Grigg was a Brentford player, and his success led him to scoring 22 goals in one season for the Buckinghamshire outfit, but instead of signing for them permanently, he headed for Wigan.

Off the back of his time at the Latics, the Northern Ireland international switched to Sunderland for a significant seven-figure fee in January 2019, but his time on Wearside was a failed one.

Grigg headed back on loan to the Dons during the 2020-21 season, where he scored eight League One goals in 20 outings, and the most recent 2021-22 campaign was spent temporarily at Rotherham United, where he netted six times in all competitions.

Now though, for the first time in his career, Grigg will be a permanent MK Dons player, having seen his time at Sunderland come to an end.

The Verdict

Even though he had a torrid time at Sunderland for the most part, Grigg can definitely flourish in an alternative environment.

He has shown in his last loan spell at MK Dons that he knows where the back of the net is still, but he just needs the right support around him to make it happen.

Having lost Troy Parrott back to Tottenham this summer, the Dons were lacking central striking options to accompany Mo Eisa and Louie Barry, should he be deployed through the middle.

Now though, they have an experienced head for League One and someone who knows where the back of the net is at the level, so it's a good deal for both parties.