Of all the players who signed for Boro’ during the Gary Smith era, powerful forward Lucas Akins was the one that turned out best. We managed to secure the player’s services after agreeing to an undisclosed fee with Tranmere Rovers; Smith apparently being a long-time admirer of his abilities. Akins’ arrival was part of an ongoing evolution of the Boro’ squad at the time too. After a period of consistency that saw us promoted twice in two years, the post-Graham Westley times saw a changing of the guard. So, there was a fair bit for Akins to live up to.
Rovers didn’t want to let him go; activating a contract extension that Akins refused. The Wirral club played hardball, but we got our man. And he proved his worth. As our 2012-3 season went to pot, Akins was one of our better performers – ending up as our top scorer; the only player to break the 10-goal mark. Even under the returning GW, he continued to be an important player for us – even if his goal tally during our ill-fataed 2013-4 campaign was lower. He was rewarded with a new deal at the end of the season – but he ended up signing for Burton Albion shortly after.
Lucas Akins: Before Boro’
Akins started his career at Huddersfield Town; promoted to the senior team in April 2007, before signing a one-year deal the next month. First team opportunities were restricted to just a handful of appearances, however. There was also a loan spell at Northwich Victoria. In 2008, the player moved north of the border to Hamilton Academical, then of the Scottish Premier League. One more, however, first team chances were at a premium. As such, he moved on loan to Partick Thistle before Hamilton released him in summer 2010.
Returning to the English leagues, Akins signed for Tranmere and developed into a strong, pacy asset. During his two-year stay with the club, he made around 80 appearances and found the goal on a handful of occasions. It was his performances at Prenton Park which caught the eye of Smith.
