Boss Nigel Clough is unique in football believes long-serving Jordan Bowery

Clough last week marked five years at the club – a feat in itself in the cut-throat world of football, and Bowery has been with him since day one.

“I wish I had met him 10-15 years ago,” said Bowery.

“Five years is a massive achievement that does not happen that often.

“A few of us here have now worked with him for a while and you know what you're going to get.

“It's a big thing for a club to have this consistency. He can build each year not worrying something is going to happen and he has done an unbelievable job since he has been here.

“Everyone loves him around the place and, speaking for myself, I have loved every minute of being here working with him, both on and off the pitch.

“You can bring your dog to training, you can bring your kids in, he just wants it to feel like a family place where everyone is welcome.

“Around the club he will always have a joke with you.

“He is very clever. He knows people's family situations and partner's names - he wants to know everything about you so he can always be there to help.

“He always demands hard work, but rewards you in the right ways with days off.

“If you come into training not feeling right, he will say don't risk it as long as you're all right for Saturday.

“And he will let you do whatever you need to do to be ready for a game.

“You don't go this far in the game without being a good person.

“In the dressing room on matchdays it can be intense as he just wants to win.

“He wants us to play well, but the main objective is to win. He is a winner.

“He tries to make it comfortable and does not give out loads of information, just the basic information you need to do your job right.

“Some managers can bombard you with too much information.”

But woe betide anyone who does not listen to him.

“He gave Davis Keillor-Dunn one job in a game which he didn't do and he absolutely battered him for it after the game,” smiled Bowery.

“That's Davo for you and that's the gaffer. If you don't do your job right he will tell you about it.

“The manager had put three sheets on the wall, the starting line-up and where you were playing, and where to stand for corners for and corners against.

“Davo had one place to stand for corners against and he didn't stand there and I think we conceded.

“After the game he said he did not know where he was standing. The gaffer pointed out it was on the sheet and Davo said he'd not looked at it.

“That's Davo. As good a footballer as he is, sometimes he is just away with the fairies.

“The gaffer does not bore you with a million tactics. It is just simple and effective.

“I have had over 10 different managers in my career and you will never, ever meet someone like the gaffer. He is so unique in what he does.

“A lot of it is so simple but it's so different to everyone else.

“When he does come out of the game it will be a shock to us, especially to the younger players if they go somewhere else.”

Bowery can remember how bleak things were when Clough came in during Covid with Stags firmly in a relegation battle.

“It was tough back then with Covid and no fans – and we'd not got off to a great start under Graham (Coughlan),” he said.

“We had a lot of new players and we just weren't gelling.

“We just didn't know when we would win again.

“It was a struggle and probably the most down I have felt in my career.

“It was difficult not playing in front of fans and my family could not come to the games. We weren't winning and I was in and out the team

“I had a few disagreements with Graham and I felt quite low at the time.

“You don't want to see any manager get sacked, but he was.

“Coops (Richard Cooper) took over for three games and, after a chat, got me enjoying my football again.”

He added: “I might not have still been here if not for Coops and it's been a good journey ever since

“Then it was the start of a new era under the gaffer.

“We heard he was taking over and we saw him up in the stands in the cup game at Sunderland.

“He came in at half-time and again after the game and he just had that aura about him.

“Straight away you knew you didn't want to disappoint him.

“He is a massive name in football and had done good things with Burton, so we all knew he was a great appointment.”

Clough has made huge strides every season and Bowery can see that continuing as Mansfield push for a place in the Championship.

“He came in when we were having a stinker of a time and got us out of that rot. I scored my first hat-trick that season,” said Bowery.

“Next season we got to the play-off final at Wembley, the next season we missed out on the play-offs by a goal, and the next season we got promoted.

“Last season we stayed in League One. Every season we have been pushing for something.

“Getting promoted was the highlight of all that.

“It was an unbelievable night and felt like it had been a long time coming from what had happened the previous two seasons. It was such a relief at that final whistle and an amazing feeling.

“The celebrations were fantastic and I think Davo was still drunk the following Saturday.

“The gaffer could have put a weaker side out then for the last game at Barrow but he wanted to try to win the game and finish second. That is how he is.

“We are not stopping pushing and we are sitting eighth in League One right now, so who knows what can happen next?”

Bowery feels he has every reason to be grateful for his time with Clough and sees him as the perfect fit for Mansfield Town.

“He has had such an impact on my career, going from striker to centre back, left back, right back, wherever he wants to put me,” he said.

“He demands hard work and I feel like Mansfield is a town of hard work.

“Fans can see the passion on the sidelines of how he is regardless of the score.

“We could be 5-0 up and he is still out there demanding high standards.

“So I think he is the perfect fit and what Mansfield has needed for quite a while.

“He knows the game better than anyone and has learned from a great manager in his dad.”