Clough wants Stags to 'keep moving forward'

Nigel Clough was appointed Mansfield Town boss in November 2020

Nigel Clough says he is determined to keep Mansfield Town striving for new heights after recently signing a new two-year deal to remain in charge of the Stags.

The 59-year-old's previous contract was coming to an end in the summer, but after weeks of negotiations the former England forward agreed to stay at the One Call Stadium.

His previous contract extension was a 12-month deal triggered after guiding the Stags to automatic promotion from League Two in 2023-24.

After returning Mansfield to the third tier for the first time in 21 years, he became the first boss in more than three decades to keep them in the division for longer than one season.

"We are very pleased to have the opportunity to keep working with the owners and keep moving the club forward," Clough told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"We hope to continue that, which is not only the most challenging part of it but also the most important part."

Remaining at the helm means Clough will take his managerial career into a 27th year.

The former Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Manchester City striker, who enjoyed the best years of his playing career at the City Ground under famous father Brian Clough, first took up coaching at non-league level at Burton Albion in 1998.

A second spell with the Brewers - after nearly seven years away working at Derby County and Sheffield United - had him managing the east Staffordshire club in the Championship.

They were back in League One when he stepped down during the Covid-19 pandemic to help the club save costs when football stopped - but he returned to management within months with Mansfield in November 2020.

Less than two years later he got them to within a win of promotion at Wembley, where they lost the play-off final to Port Vale, before they eventually went up automatically in 2024.

A 17th-place finish in the third tier made for a successful return to a level that Mansfield had only fleetingly played at in the past 30 years.

Even before Clough's future was confirmed, the club moved to strengthen their squad for another season in League One with the additions of midfielders Regan Hendry and Nathan Moriah-Welsh, goalkeeper Liam Robert, defender Kyle Knoyle and Nottingham Forest loanee Kyle McAdam, having also brought experienced defender Ryan Sweeney back to the club.

Despite that, Clough says "two or three more" players will be needed in attack before the season starts against Burton on 2 August.

"The signings we have made so far, plus the improvements at the stadium and the training ground as well, all keep the club moving in the right direction," he added.

"But the most important thing is on the pitch, because if you don't get that right, then everything else is irrelevant."