League One club Mansfield Town have named Lucas Akins in their squad list for the 2025-26 season, despite the player currently being in prison.
The 36-year-old started a 14-month sentence in April after pleading guilty to causing the death of a cyclist by careless or inconsiderate driving.
The incident occurred in March 2022 when Akins was involved in a car crash near Huddersfield in Yorkshire, which killed cyclist Adrian Daniel.
Akins, who mainly plays as a winger or as a striker, could be available for release after serving half of his sentence, the BBC have reported.
His potential release could allow Akins to return to the pitch in the third tier of English football for Mansfield before Christmas.
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It was previously believed Akins’ contract at Mansfield expired at the end of last season – but he remains on the club’s official website squad list.
Akins’ name appears on Mansfield’s squad list on the English Football League website too.
‘The club will review Lucas’ position as and when he is released from custody and will make no further comment at this time,’ Mansfield said in a statement.
If Akins is released from prison after serving half of his sentence, he would potentially serve the remaining seven months on license.
Akins joined Mansfield from Burton Albion in 2022 and has played 154 games for the club, scoring 28 goals.
He helped the Stags earn promotion to League One from League Two in the 2023-24 season.
Akins, born in England, has played on the international stage for Grenada, earning seven caps for his country.
Akins started his career at Huddersfield Town and spent time on loan at Northwich Victoria before he joined Hamilton in a permanent move.
During his time at the Scottish club, he was loaned to Partick Thistle before making a return to England when he signed for Tranmere Rovers in 2010.
Akins then moved to Stevenage before joining Burton, where he would spend eight years from 2014 to 2022.
He helped Burton clinch the League Two title in 2015 and was twice named the club’s Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Akins’ current club Mansfield are 11th in League One after their opening seven games of the 2025-26 season.
Mansfield lost 2-0 to Wycombe in their last League One match and return to action on Saturday when they host Akins’ former club Stevenage.
