Former Blackpool, West Ham and Leyton Orient star free agent at 25 as Sunderland figure also released

Former Blackpool midfielder Dan Kemp will be on the search for a new club this summer after he was told his contract would not be be getting renewed.

The 25-year-old has been with MK Dons for the last two seasons and after their crushing 8-1 defeat to Crawley Town, the club have announced that he is leaving. MK Dons are releasing five first-team players with Kemp joining; Mo Eisa, Michael Kelly, Ethan Robson and Warren O'Hara in the departure lounge.

Kemp spent the first-half of the 2023/24 season out on loan at Swindon Town after failing to break in under Graham Alexander. He was recalled in January when Mike Williamson was installed as manager and went on to play 21 times for them, however he wasn't involved in the play-offs because of a calf issue.

The three-time England under-20 international had a short stint at Blackpool during the 2020/21 season and was signed when Neil Critchley was in charge. He joined on a season-long loan deal in September 2020 and played a total of 15 times, though only eight came in League One and he would later be recalled by West Ham.

Leyton Orient would sign him on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee and he would play 49 times there before joining MK Dons. They loaned him out to Hartlepool United just after a year, and now he is departing the Buckinghamshire club for nothing. In total, Kemp made 37 appearances for the Dons during his two-and-a-half-years at the Stadium MK.

Ethan Robson is also following Kemp out of the exit door and he had a longer stint as a player at Bloomfield Road. Robson joined Blackpool in the summer of 2020 and joined on a two-year deal after leaving Sunderland, where he made 14 appearances for the senior team.

The 27-year-old made 38 appearances for the Seasiders with most coming in his first year at the club, before moving moved out on loan to the Dons in Critchley's second season. He was released by Blackpool and Dons signed him permanently on a two-year deal.