Lewington retired as club captain at the end of last season, having made an emotional final appearance at Stadium MK against Grimsby Town in April, followed by a brief farewell cameo at the end of an away game at Swindon.

The Freedom of the City honour, though, came out of the blue.

"When I was told I was being given the Freedom of Milton Keynes, I was obviously very surprised - I was a little drunk when they first told me, so it didn't quite kick in.

"But it means the world. The fact that so few people have been honoured is obviously a huge deal for me, and the fact that after I finished playing, I've been recognised in this way is something I'm very proud of," he said.

"I have a really positive association with Milton Keynes, I've loved my time here and it's nice to know I've had that impact on other people's lives too."

Lewington was a member of three promotion-winning MK Dons teams, most notably in 2014-15 when they reached the Championship for the first time.

There were also memorable moments in cup competitions, including winning...