Archived News from July 2018
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STAGS SIGN CRAIG DAVIES FROM OLDHAM
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Stags make treble swoop!
mansfieldtown.net, Friday 29 June 2018 Mansfield Town manager David Flitcroft has made a treble swoop with the loan signing of Nottingham Forest striker Tyler Walker along with permanent additions of attacking midfielder Otis Khan and experienced striker Craig Davies from Yeovil Town and Oldham Athletic, respectively. Highly-rated Reds’ striker Tyler Walker joins the Stags on loan until the end of the season. Dynamic midfielder Khan has signed a two year deal at One Call Stadium after the Stags agreed an undisclosed fee with Yeovil for the 22-year-old. Frontman Davies has penned a two year contract after the Stags landed the 32-year-old from Oldham for an undisclosed fee. On his first Championship start of last season, Tyler Walker netted twice for the Reds in a 4-0 win against Queens Park Rangers and later penned a new deal at the City Ground until the summer of 2021. The Nottingham born youngster, 21, has loan experience with Burton Albion, Stevenage Port Vale and Bolton Wanderers and is capped at England U20 level. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2018/june/stags-make-treble-swoop/#.WzZOv4IhnBU.twitter After his schooling at Manchester United, Otis Khan signed for Sheffield United’s development side in 2012 before making his first team debut for the Blades two years later. Comfortable central or out wide, Khan then enjoyed a spell with Barnsley before signing for Yeovil in the summer of 2016 and has since been their stand-out performer. Former Wales international Craig Davies netted 14 times for his previous club Oldham, who were recently relegated from League One. Amongst other clubs in a career which started at Manchester City, the 32-year-old has played for Brighton, Chesterfield, Barnsley, Bolton and Wigan in the past eight years. Chief executive officer Carolyn Radford said: “We’re thrilled to have Tyler, Otis and Craig now in our ranks ahead of next season following much hard work behind-the-scenes in recent weeks. “We’ve had to remain patient and professional in equal measure but we know these signings will excite our supporters and add real quality to our squad. “Tyler’s loan transfer has come as a result of a new, special relationship with Nottingham Forest and their owners, who I thank for their characteristic professionalism. We have agreed to pay a contribution to the player’s wages and our ambition is to aid Tyler’s development while he plays a significant part in our season this term. “We have been closely monitoring Otis and Craig for some time and their desire and hunger to play for the Stags are qualities which fit perfectly into our model.” Manager David Flitcroft said: “There’s been a lot of hard miles and real hard graft put into these deals and I’m delighted for everyone at the club and thank the chairman and Carolyn for their support in making these signings happen. “I’ve not been deterred from my vision of what the team will look like and what it will represent to our supporters and I’m absolutely delighted with the signings, especially before the Portugal training camp next week. “It was key that we got the players in this week to settle in with the group so next week in Portugal we can lay down our battle plans.” For extensive, exclusive coverage of the new signings, log in to http://www.mansfieldtown.net/ifollow over the coming days. ----------------------- New boy Davies delighted to be working under Flitcroft again chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS Mansfield Town delighted fans on Friday when they unveiled three exciting summer signings at the same time. Forest’s Tyler Walker and Yeovil’s Otis Khan offer the promise of youth but the third signing, Craig Davies from Oldham, adds vital experience and goalpower. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/new-boy-davies-delighted-to-be-working-under-flitcroft-again-1-9231292 Striker Craig Davies is delighted to be playing for David Flitcroft for a second time after joining Mansfield Town for an undisclosed fee from Oldham Athletic on Friday. The 32-year-old target man played for Flitcroft at Barnsley and believes he is the manager that can get the very best out of him next season. “I am over the moon to be fair,” he said. “I got a call saying that they were interested and I didn't really have to think for too long. “I have worked with the gaffer before and I know what he's about and what he can bring out of me. So it was a no-brainer really. “He is an honest guy who expects players to work hard. When I was with him before at Barnsley I felt like he brought the best out of me. So hopefully he can do that again.” The experienced Davies, a former Welsh international, will offer Mansfield a different option up front. “I am all about being physical and scoring - the rough and tumble really,” he said. “The manager said to me come in as I know you can do a good job for me - and I think that as well.” Davies immediately found himself on an aeroplane bound for Stags' pre-season training camp in Portugal, which he sees as the perfect opportunity to get to know his new teammates. “The boys here are all looking really fit and I can't wait to get cracking in Portugal and have a good week under my belt,” he said. “I'd like to get through pre-season injury-free with good fitness. “This trip helps getting to know your team mates. Going away somewhere like that you are just isolated with your team mates. “You have no outside distractions. It will be good to get to know people on a personal level.” Davies believes he is at his best when he has had a good pre-season. “Everyone has their targets for the season,” he said. “But, first and foremost, my target is to have a good pre-season. “I feel like whenever I have had a good pre-season I have always gone on to do well in the season. So that's my aim at the moment. “I saw the team here last year and watched what happened when the gaffer took over, having worked with him previously. “They just missed out on the play-offs, so hopefully next season we can go one step better and get promotion. That's the direction everyone here wants to go. I want to be a part of that.” Flitcroft sees Davies as a real leader on the pitch, the player saying: “I just try to do my bit - if that's leading, that's leading. I just come into work and work hard, trying to be as professional as I can.” ------------------------- Stags' boss pleased to add trio in time for Portugal trip mansfieldtown.net Stags' boss David Flitcroft says getting the deals for the trio of Otis Khan, Tyler Walker and Craig Davies over the line before Mansfield Town jetted off to Portugal for their pre-season training camp was vital, as it allows him to work with his new additions over the course of this week. Stags trained for the first time in Portugal this afternoon, after landing safely at 11am local time. Manager Flitcroft added the trio of signings to his ranks last Friday, with Stags announcing the treble swoop all at the same time in what was a dramatic day at One Call Stadium. The Stags' boss said he is 'delighted' with the signings, and paid tribute to the support of chairman John Radford and CEO Carolyn Radford in getting the deals over the line. Flitcroft highlighted the importance of getting the trio in before the first team jetted off to Portugal for their pre-season training camp, in order to allow the new forwards to gel with the rest of the squad. "I'm absolutely delighted with everyone at the club and the chairman and Carolyn's support in this. They are three signings that we have been chasing long and chasing hard," said the manager. "I've not gone off the vision in my head as to what the team is going to look like and what it's going to represent to the supporters. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2018/july/flitcroft-on-stags-treble-swoop/ "We've kept going for our key targets and to pull them all off has took some real hard work and graft behind the scenes. I'm absolutely delighted. "I think getting them in before the Portugal trip [was important]. We really wanted them in for this week settling in with the group. "Tyler Walker has come here for football reasons. He has an ambition, and that's what I do know. He wants to make it to the Premier League and that is something I spoke to him about in length - how can we get Tyler Walker to the Premier League." "Otis Khan has been at Manchester United has a trainee. He has the United mind, the United habits, the United feet. He has gone down to Yeovil and done some real hard graft and miles. His work ethic is phenomenal. He's been training with a performance coach all summer which we have been keeping tabs on. "They all have incredible quality. Craig Davies takes care in his work and in his training - he has real professionalism. These boys have vast amount of quality, pace and power. That's something we certainly needed in the squad. "These players are coming in to make maximum impact on a Saturday or a Tuesday night. They've come in with an ambition and hunger to score goals - all three of them. That's the word I want, I want ambitious players here. I want to move this club forward." The Stags' boss spoke of the experience that striker Craig Davies adds to the ranks at One Call Stadium, following his acquisition from Oldham Athletic. "I've always been able to work with a striker who wants to lead the line, who sees it as his ambition to lead the line. He [Davies] has got the calibre to do that and the personality to do that,” he said. "He enjoys causing defenders real problems. He's a physical specimen. "What he has now done has linked the centre of the pitch up in terms of a leadership group. You have Conrad Logan or Bobby Olejnik, you have [Krystian] Pearce, [Neal] Bishop, [Alex] MacDonald who have the experience and the know-how. "We have young strikers at the club who are a little inexperienced at times, but Craig gives us that experience and he certainly gives opposition real problems." Manager Flitcroft added that Otis Khan, who signed for the Stags on a two-year deal from Yeovil Town, is a player that will get the fans out of their seats. "Otis [Khan] for six or seven months of the season last season blew the league away with his potency and his quality. I look at him as a fan as well, and he is the player who will get the fans excited and get the fans off their feet. When he gets the ball you're looking for him to do something. "He has dynamic movement and is a player that certainly excites me when I watch him. He can create something from nothing and has that creative spark. That's the thing I have brought him to the club for - his creation and his spark. "He's a player that I want to work with on the training ground. I do believe we are bringing an asset to the football club and he is in an environment where he can flourish." Tyler Walker joined Mansfield on loan from Nottingham Forest, and is a player that the Stags' boss has admired for some time. Flitcroft added that it was the relationship that the chairman and CEO share with Nottingham Forest that made the deal possible. "He [Walker] went to America with the team [Nottingham Forest] last year but he was right on the fringe. I enquired about him then but didn't get the chance to work with him. I kept tabs on him since then. I think what has got the deal over the line is the relationship that John and Carolyn have with Nottingham Forest,” he added. "The big thing for me for Tyler was that he had good options, but he saw the football plan here and wanted to sign for us. With his dad's blessing, and that was important for me as he is a legend of the game, it was important for me that he made the right football decision. "The deal wouldn't have got over the line without the backing of the chairman and Carolyn. It's full credit to them really." Despite the Stags' boss flying out to Portugal with the squad this week, he maintained that the club may still be active in the transfer market. "There are still things going on behind the scenes. We are still short defensively, we need defensive cover. We make no secret of that. "We have promoted three of the younger players up to train with the first team and they will be training with us for the morning and night sessions. "We'll still be fine-tuning and adjusting our playing squad and that will run up to the start of the season now. I can go to Portugal and really work with that front end of the pitch because we've added real quality to our squad." iFollow Stags subscribers can watch the manager's answers in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. ---------------------- chad.co.uk Flitcroft has also brought in the vast experience of Davies. “I have always been able to work with a striker who wants to lead the line - someone who sees it as his ambition to lead a forward line,” he said. “Craig has the calibre and personality to do that. He has the size and he enjoys causing centre halves real problems. He is a physical specimen. “It has now linked the centre of the pitch up. He has the experience, knowledge, know-how and desire to really go and hurt teams. “We have young strikers at the club so Craig gives us that bit of experience. “These boys have got real quality at the top end of the pitch and vast amounts of pace and power which is what we needed in the squad.” Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/patience-pays-for-flitcroft-as-he-lands-all-three-key-targets-1-9232171 ------------------ Flitcroft can bring the best out of me - Davies mansfieldtown.net New Mansfield Town striker Craig Davies says he is looking forward to reuniting with Stags' boss David Flitcroft, who he believes can get the best out of him in the upcoming season. Davies, 32, who was announced as part of a trio of signings revealed to fans last Friday, worked under Stags' manager Flitcroft during his spell at Barnsley. The experienced forward claims that making the switch to One Call Stadium was a simple decision, mostly due to the idea of a reunion with his former manager. "I'm over the moon to be fair [about signing for Mansfield]. I got the call saying the club were interested and I didn't have to think for too long," he said. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2018/july/craig-davies-interview/ "I've worked with the gaffer before. I know what he's about and I know what he can bring out of me, so it was a no-brainer really. "He [David Flitcroft] is an honest guy and he expects the players to work hard. When I was with him at Barnsley I feel like he brought the best out of me so hopefully he can do that again. "[As a player I like] being physical, scoring and playing rough and tumble really! "The manager has asked me to come in and do a good job for him, and I know that I can do that so like I said, it's something I didn't have to think too much about." Davies also spoke of the importance of having a positive pre-season in order to bond with his new team-mates and hit the ground running in 2018-19. "The team are looking really well, some of the boys look in really good shape and I'm just happy to get cracking. I'm looking forward to Portugal and getting a week of training under our belts. "It helps to get a good pre-season under your belt and to get to know your team-mates. Going away somewhere like that [Portugal], you're isolated with just the team so you have no outside distractions. It wil be good to get to know the boys on a personal level." The striker also added that although he has targets for the new campaign, he is focusing on getting a positive pre-season wrapped up before focusing on anything else. "I think everybody has their targets [for the season]. My first target though is to have a good pre-season as I feel like whenever I've had good pre-seasons I've always gone on to do well in the season so that's my aim at the moment. "I watched the team when the gaffer took over last season as I'd worked with him previously and saw we just missed out on the play-offs. "Hopefully next season we can go one step better and get in there and get promoted. I think that's the direction that everybody here wants to move in and I want to be a big part of that." iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Craig Davies' answers in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow. --------------------------- Stags strengthen attacking options with triple signing chad.co.uk, Friday 29 June 2018 David Flitcroft has today bolstered his attacking options at Mansfield Town for next season with the signings of Tyler Walker, Otis Khan and Craig Davies. Highly-rated forward Walker, 21, has joined Mansfield on a season-long loan from Nottingham Forest while attacking midfielder Khan, 22, and experienced striker Davies, 32, have both signed two-year deals. Stags sign Tyler Walker, pictured here playing for Forest Stags chief executive officer Carolyn Radford was “thrilled” to get the three deals done after much hard work, which saw undisclosed fees paid to Yeovil Town and Oldham Athletic for the services of Khan and Davies respectively. Walker, son of Forest legend Des, made 33 appearances in total for Forest in the Championship, largely from the substitutes’ bench, since making his debut for the Reds in March 2015. He has had spells at Burton Albion, Stevenage, Port Vale and Bolton Wanderers over the last two seasons and will be aiming to gain as much first team experience as possible at the One Call Stadium. While Stags beat off stiff competition for 22-year-old Khan with rumoured interest from Preston North End, Wigan and Shrewsbury emerging earlier this week. Khan began his career at Manchester United before joining Sheffield United’s academy, where he made two first team appearances, and went on to play for Buxton, Matlock Town and Barrow on loan. He joined Barnsley in January 2016 before moving to Yeovil that summer and has gone on to make 67 appearances for the Glovers during that time, scoring 22 goals in the process. And much-travelled former Wales international Davies netted 14 times for his previous club Oldham, who were recently relegated from League One. Amongst other clubs in a career which started at Manchester City, he has played for Brighton, Chesterfield, Barnsley, Bolton and Wigan in the past eight years. Read more at: https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/stags-strengthen-attacking-options-with-triple-signing-1-9228743 --------------------- Striker Departs Boundary Park Friday 29 June 2018 https://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/2018/june/29062018-craig-davies-departs/#.WzZORAvOYOg.twitter Craig Davies has left the club to join fellow Sky Bet League Two side Mansfield Town for an undisclosed fee. The striker, who has enjoyed two spells with Latics, scored 14 goals for Athletic last season in 44 appearances. The club would like to thank Craig for his services and wish him well for the future. --------------------------- twitter Sidekick Management @SidekickManagem (29 June 2018) Congratulation to @Craig28Davies who has signed at @mansfieldtownfc on a two-year deal. Best of luck on your new chapter big man ----------------- |
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