‘Naughty’ Nathan Thomas turning into a fine team player at Mansfield Town

Mansfield Town believe they are making great strides into turning ‘naughty kid’ Nathan Thomas into a better team player.
Mansfield Town v Crawley Town -Skybet League One - One Call Stadium - Saturday 12th September 2015Mansfield Town v Crawley Town -Skybet League One - One Call Stadium - Saturday 12th September 2015
Mansfield Town v Crawley Town -Skybet League One - One Call Stadium - Saturday 12th September 2015

Thomas scored his first goal for the club and was a constant threat in Saturday’s 4-0 win over Crawley Town and boss Adam Murray said: “He is a great lad.

“Nathan’s in a position in his career where he needs to show people how good he is.

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“He is like our ‘naughty kid of the family’ as he gets that wound up when he’s not playing and sometimes when he doesn’t perform how he knows I expect him to perform he has a little head wobble.

“But the group keep him in check. Because the group understand what a good player he is, they love him.

“They bring him back into the family and we welcomed him back into the family on Friday because he’s had a couple of ‘shaky head weeks’, but we’ve kept him on track and then he performs like that!

“I didn’t care what he did with the ball on Saturday. My issue with Nathan will never be with the ball as he is a super player.

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“I want to know he has got the discipline, the organisation to take away the ‘me’ out the game and make sure it’s about ‘us’, and on Saturday he was exceptional at that.

“He is getting there. He hasn’t got it yet. It’s like the team, it doesn’t just happen overnight. It is a building thing with him and when it does click he will be an exceptional player.

“To be in good teams and be great as an individual, you have to sacrifice yourself and make sure you are looking at the greater good.

“I keep saying to the team that good players become great when they make the team better. It’s not about ‘me’.”