Former Swindon Town and Aston Villa striker leaves Crawley Town to join League Two rivals MK Dons

Rushian Hepburn-Murphy | Picture: Natalie Mayhew/Butterfly Football

Crawley Town striker Rushian Hepburn-Murphy has joined fellow League Two side MK Dons on a permanent transfer for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old joined Crawley at the start of the 2024/25 season, and shot onto the scene at the Broadfield Stadium when he scored the Reds’ opening goal of the season at home to Blackpool.

As the Reds battled through a turbulent season, Rushian, who played in a variety of different positions throughout the campaign, had his season revitalised when Scott Lindsey returned as Manager. The striker finished the 24/25 season with 11 goals in all competitions, higher than any other player.

The club said: “The club would like to thank Rushian for his dedication over the course of last season, and wishes him all the best for the future.”

On joining MK Dons, Hepburn-Murphy said: “I can’t wait to get going. It’s a great project to be involved in and I’m looking forward to the upcoming season.

“The gaffer is brilliant; the first few conversations we had made me want to play for him.

"For me, this club should never be in league two.

"Who wouldn’t want to play here and get back up the leagues as quick as possible?”

On what MK Dons fans can expect from him, the former Swindon man said: “I like to try and entertain, getting at defenders one-on-one and scoring goals.

"A fun fact! I scored a hat-trick at Stadium MK (while on loan at Tranmere in 2019) so hopefully I can do that again!

“My favourite position is down the middle, but I’m versatile enough I can play across the front three positions.”