Mark Jackson: MK Dons appoint Leeds United first-team coach as new boss

Mark Jackson was in charge of Leeds Under-23s before being promoted to first-team coach

MK Dons have named Leeds United coach Mark Jackson as their new boss.

The 45-year-old replaces Liam Manning, who was sacked on 11 December with the team next to bottom of League One.

His first game in charge will be at home to Forest Green Rovers on Boxing Day, followed by trips to Peterborough United and current leaders Plymouth.

“The club has a clear identity and it’s one that fits in with my idea of how the game should be played,” Jackson told the Dons website.

“We will look to play an attractive style of football, where we dominate the ball, play on the front foot, aggressively go after teams with how we press and influence our style on the opponent’s game.”

Of the past seven head coaches appointed by MK Dons, Jackson, who oversaw training on Friday, is the fourth to be given his first post in senior club management by them, following Karl Robinson (2010-2016), Dan Micciche (2018) and Russell Martin (2019-2021).

However, the length of his contract at Stadium: MK has not been disclosed.

The former Leeds and Scunthorpe United defender was in charge of various age group sides at Elland Road before being promoted to first-team coach in March.

Speaking on Thursday, Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch said: “Jacko has been an absolute asset for me from the first day that I set foot into the building.

“He has done everything and more that I could have hoped, his passion, his commitment and his love of this club made him essential for me and for us in our quest to stay in the [Premier] league [last season]. I fully believe that without him we wouldn’t have stayed in the league.

“I value him completely as a person and as a football mind.”

Manning guided the Dons to a third-place finish and the League One play-offs last season after joining them from Belgian club Lommel in the summer of 2021, but they missed out on the chance of promotion after losing to Wycombe Wanderers over two legs.

The squad had to be rebuilt following a number of subsequent departures and they lost their first three league games of the season without scoring a goal.

Two wins in the next three pushed them up to 13th in the table by the end of August but they have been in the relegation places since a 2-1 defeat at Shrewsbury on 8 October.

“It is clear what the short-term targets are, and I will be emphasising that to the players, but I want to help build something special in long term as well, and I believe we have the togetherness and the people here to achieve that,” Jackson added.

Mark Jackson played for Scunthorpe against Leeds in a 2003 FA Cup tie

The search for Manning’s successor was led by sporting director Liam Sweeting, who said: “At the start of this process I was focused on three key areas; Leadership, Experience and Style of Play. I feel in Mark we have someone with qualities and a proven record that hit all three.

“We now feel he is ready to step into a Head Coach role and have the opportunity to implement his own beliefs and way of working.”

As a player, Jackson was given his Leeds first-team debut by then boss Howard Wilkinson in a 1-0 Premier League home defeat by Middlesbrough in March 1996.

He made 23 appearances for his hometown club but spent most of his career at a lower level, principally with Scunthorpe, where he played almost 160 games between 2000 and 2005.

Jackson ‘seems like a good fit’ – Analysis

BBC Three Counties Radio sports editor Geoff Doyle

Even though it will be Jackson’s first head coach position this seems a good fit in terms of the management/coaching structure at MK Dons.

The comments of Leeds boss Jesse Marsch were interesting, with the American believing Leeds would have been relegated last season without Jackson. That experience is certainly going to help him as he now fights relegation in League One.

The Dons are in the bottom four and have lost 13 of 21 League One games.

Jackson is likely to need reinforcements in the January transfer window and his knowledge of the top academy players in the country – having worked with Leeds Under-23s for two years – could prove to be very handy.