Akins' Mansfield future still being 'considered'

Lucas Akins has been with Mansfield Town since January 2022

Lucas Akins' future with Mansfield Town beyond this summer remains undecided despite the striker being jailed for 14 months.

The 36-year-old was sentenced to prison in April after pleading guilty to causing the death of a cyclist by careless or inconsiderate driving.

Adrian Daniel, 33, died 10 days after he was struck by a Mercedes G350 being driven by Akins near Huddersfield in March 2022.

Despite being out of contract in the summer, Akins has not been included on the League One club's list of players being released.

Instead the club has said it is "continuing to consider its position" regarding the striker and added that "no further comment" will be made.

Akins was a Mansfield player when the crash happened more than three years ago and continued to play for the Stags until he was jailed.

Even when he pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court on 4 March, he started a league match just hours later.

Following Akins' sentencing more than a month later, Stags boss Nigel Clough said the jail term came as an "unbelievable shock" to the club.

In an interview with BBC Radio Nottingham, Clough said Akins future at the One Call Stadium was still being discussed.

"Nothing will be decided immediately. Everybody is just digesting what was an unbelievable shock this week," the Stags boss said at the time.

Meanwhile, Mansfield have triggered contract extensions for Baily Cargill, Elliott Hewitt, Aaron Lewis, Rhys Oates and Louis Reed, while Jordan Bowery, Dom Dwyer, Stephen McLaughlin, Scott Flinders and Lee Gregory remain in talks about new deals.

Goalkeeper Christy Pym, who made 42 appearances this season, has been released alongside Hiram Boateng, Aden Flint, Alfie Kilgour, Calum Macdonald, Tom Nichols, Ben Quinn, Stephen Quinn and George Williams.