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#1
The jailing of Mansfield Town striker Lucas Akins for causing the death of a cyclist is "devastating" and came as an "unbelievable shock" to the club, says Stags boss Nigel Clough.

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

Akins, 36, was sentenced to 14 months in prison on Thursday.

Mansfield's 4-0 defeat by League One title winners Birmingham City on Sunday was their first game since their player was jailed.

Clough spoke to BBC Radio Nottingham shortly before the match about the sentencing of the forward, who has played under him at both Mansfield and Burton Albion.

"For player and person like Lucas, we have lost a friend and a colleague to a sentence," Clough said.

"I also can't stress enough how much we have to acknowledge the pain of Mr Daniel's family.

"It is just a tragic accident and we are devastated for Lucas that he has ended up with a prison sentence."

Akins had pulled out into the path of Mr Daniel, who had been cycling home from work.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Daniel's wife, Savanna, said his death had been "like hell and a nightmare I'm not waking up from".

She criticised Akins for not pleading guilty at the first opportunity, but said she did not want him to go to jail.

"We do not need any more lives to be destroyed by this," she said.

Akins was a Mansfield player when the crash happened and he continued to play for the Nottinghamshire club afterwards.

After pleading guilty at Leeds Crown Court on 4 March he started a league match just hours later.

He made a further eight appearances for the club - and even started in an international match for Grenada against Russia in Moscow last month - before he was sentenced last week.

Akins has played professionally for 18 years and counts Huddersfield, Burton, Tranmere and Stevenage as well as Scottish sides Hamilton Academical and Partick Thistle among his former clubs.

He has just two months of his Mansfield contract remaining, having signed a new one-year deal after helping them win promotion from League Two last season.

Akins' future beyond the summer remains uncertain.

"That will be discussed," said Clough.

"Nothing will be decided immediately. Everybody is just digesting what was an unbelievable shock this week.

"There is talk of him maybe appealing, so we we will see what happens in the next week or two."
Why should a man go to work, if he has the health and strength to stay in bed?
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#2
Striker Lucas Akins has returned to Mansfield Town following his release from prison, the League One club has confirmed.

The 36-year-old was jailed for 14 months 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.

It is understood Akins has been released after serving half his original sentence with the remainder to be served on probation.

In a statement,, external the Stags said: "In line with principles of rehabilitation and reintegration, the club is of the view that Lucas, having served his sentence, should be afforded the opportunity to resume his professional career."

The club added they will "continue to offer appropriate support as he returns to the first-team environment".

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

He pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court on 4 March but 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.

Akins' future with the club was kept open with the player not among those released by Mansfield in the summer, despite the forward's contract having expired.

The Stags offered "sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr Daniel", adding "our thoughts remain with all those impacted by this tragic accident".
Why should a man go to work, if he has the health and strength to stay in bed?
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