David Flitcroft calls on CJ Hamilton to help fire Mansfield Town to promotion

Hamilton had a host of Championship clubs tailing him and seven-figure sums were being mentioned which Flitcroft admitted must have affected the player.

But the window has closed and Flitcroft said: “He can settle now and understand there are 15 games we can push on for.

“Speculation does affect people. It has to. You wouldn’t be human if it didn’t.

“It might have unsettled him a little but but he has just been an unbelievable professional through it. The right things will come to him. It’s just a matter of time.”

Hamilton is one of his model pupils as Flitcroft tries to coach a relatively young squad toward success.

“I talk about rocks and sponges quite a lot and CJ just epitomises to me what I think a modern day footballer should think like, should look like,” he said.

“He picks up the learning and wants more. I love working with him. He energises me and he is the person I go home and talk about to my kids. He is phenomenal as a person.

“He is in a good place. I always think - don’t concentrate on the money, concentrate on the product and making you better. The money comes after that.

“Too many players look to money as their driver and forget about what it is that’s got them there and their values.

“CJ will get his chance without a shadow of a doubt. I just hope we can get to League One and he can drive us there and understand he’s been a massive part of that.”