Davis Keillor-Dunn thanks Mansfield Town after his big money move to Barnsley

Keillor-Dunn was top scorer for Mansfield last season as the Stags were promoted from League Two.

But that form caught the eye of the Tykes, who have spent the summer pursuing him.

Mansfield had turned down previous bids but, with the player saying he wanted to go to Oakwell and Barnsley finally offering an acceptable but undisclosed price on transfer deadline day on Friday, Keillor-Dunn was gone for what is believed to be close to a club record transfer fee.

On his X account he said: “Where do I start? From the moment I walked through the doors at the One Call and RH, everyone made me feel so welcome and made me the happiest I've been in my career. That will stay with me forever.

“Every time I put on that yellow and blue shirt I gave 110 per cent for the club.

“I adored every single person at the club from the fans, footballing staff, chefs, manager, owner and directorship.

“When you mention a family club, Stags is exactly that.

“We had such a great team and dressing room and I made some friends for life in that team.

“It got me back that smile on my face that I needed to play my best football.

“We had one goal – to get that great club out the league – and we did that.

“I'll be forever in debt for the amazing memories it gave me.

“But this new opportunity was one I couldn't turn down.

“The Stags will always hold a massive part of my heart and I want to say a massive thank you to every single person who supported me at the club.

“I will always be a supporter from afar, but I can honestly says once a Stag always a Stag.”

Mansfield boss Nigel Clough said on Saturday: “Barnsley eventually got to a bid that was acceptable to the club.

“Davis has made no secret of his desire to leave us for the last few weeks and you reach the stage where you think it’s best for all parties if that happens.

“We offered him a new deal and said: ‘will you discuss a new deal?’ and offered to make him probably the highest paid player in the club’s history, but he didn’t want to sit down and discuss it.

“His mind was made up. He’s had his head turned by Barnsley and I think as staff and as a squad, when that’s the situation then it is best for the player to move on.

“He’s been fantastic for us. We took him out of Burton – he wasn’t really playing.

“His goals and assists were magnificent for us, but we move on. That’s football and we move on with trying to find a replacement and find the next one.

“If we can sign a few more players for £25,000 and sell them for almost a club record fee, then that’s good business.

“We will miss him on the pitch, no doubt at all, but already the uncertainty spreads within the squad and we can’t afford any of that in the next eight months.”