Gaffer delighted to secure forward
Burton Albion manager Gary Rowett was happy to secure the signing of Lucas Akins from Stevenage for an undisclosed fee.
The forward joins on a two year deal from League Two rivals Boro, and Rowett believes Akins’ addition is another positive step for the club.
“It’s a fantastic signing and it’s something we’ve been working hard to conclude. Through it all Lucas was very keen to join us but it was a case of sorting the finer details. It’s a really good deal for the club and I think he’ll be a top signing.
“It’s another sign of where we’ve come. He’s 25, played at League One level for the last three years and done very well.
“He’s commanded a fee from other clubs before and I’m really excited about the signings we’ve made so far this summer,” said Rowett.
Akins is the first player that Rowett has spent a transfer fee on in his two year spell as manager, and says Akins ticked all the right boxes for his summer recruitment.
“He fitted the requirements of what we wanted. He has good athleticism and pace, he has unpredictability and flexibility in his position and overall, he’s the right age.
“I’ve said before that there’s no point in spending money on players that are 31 or 32, but to spend it on players with potential that we can hopefully harness and get the best out of.
“I like the players that have got a bit of desire and hunger to get their careers to where they want to be, and we’ve had good success with those players over the last two years.
“The Chairman backed me on getting the deal done by paying a fee, which isn’t something I’ve done in my tenure as manager.
“I appreciate the help he’s given and it shows a sign that we want to be competitive again next season,” he said.
Akins can play on the wing or through the middle as a striker, flexibility that the manager wants to use to the fullest extent this season.
“I see him playing out wide on the right or left, but also if we require some height and power down the middle, we can use him there too.
“He gives us a bit of flexibility. We found last year that if we started 4-4-2, we’d struggle to go 4-3-3 if the game demanded it and his pace and movement can give us that flexibility,” he added.
Rowett still wants to add a few more new faces to his squad for the new season, and is also hopeful that some out of contract players will sign before the campaign starts.
“I see a bit more activity, we’re hopeful that we can get a couple of players to re-sign and then maybe add another three players to what we’ve got.
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“The players we’ve signed so far allows us to be patient as we have been with this deal, and I think we’ll reap the rewards of that.”