Drop the Pounds, Darren!

Last updated : 05 March 2004 By Rob Davies & Joanna Walker
It was widely expected that high earner Caskey would leave the club when his contract expires in the summer, but Mills insisted the tubby midfielder does have a future at the club on two conditions.

And those TWO conditions according to Mills are that Darren Caskey has to be prepared to loose pounds off both his high salary and his bulging waist line!

Caskey, believed to be on about £2,000-3,000 a week, is now in his final season of a 3-year contract handed to him before the 01-02 season.

But Mills insists that the lardmeister he could be at Notts next season.

"Darren can have a future here, if he loses a few pounds - from his wages and in weight," Mills told the Evening Post.

"He is a player with a lot of talent and he is a top lad too. He is good to have around the place.

"But for some reason he has allowed himself to get out of shape. I don't know why that is, only Darren does.

"If he can sort himself out, he can still have a future.

"He is a player with undoubted ability and has demonstrated what he can do since I have been here.

"And he has also shown his commitment too."


Mills added that he believes he can accomodate Caskey & Stefan Oakes, widely thought of as the former Tottenham man's replacement, in the same team.

"I think it proved that you can play Darren and Stefan in the same team, which some people had questioned.

"It is down to Darren now and I have told him that.

"Just like every other player at the club who is out of contract, he has an opportunity to earn himself a new one.

"If they deserve it, they will get one."

NCM opinion

Some truly refreshing quotes there from our manager, we waited so long for Billy Dearden to say similar, but the day never came.

Personally, I can't see Caskey agreeing to either and it's still unlikely he'll be at Meadow Lane next season.

A player of undoubted ability, just imagine how good a central midfield pairing of a mobile Caskey and Stefan Oakes would be....

We’ll have to see whether Caskey sorts himself out between now and the end of the season but at the moment it seems to be that Mills would like Caskey to stay at Meadow Lane, but can he survive without his hefty wage packet?!