Forest Green Rovers announce that their 22-year-old club captain Paul Stonehouse has signed for Blue Square Bet Premier club Mansfield Town for the coming season.
Despite being offered terms by Forest Green for next season, the uncertainty existing where Rovers will play next season was instrumental in his move to the Stags, combined with the offer of better personal terms.
Stonehouse was the only player last season to appear in every Blue Square Premier fixture, making forty-one starts and three substitutions.
Wiltshire-based Stonehouse joined Rovers as a 16-year-old through our college and academy links in place at the time along with his older brother.
Stonehouse went on to sign his first professional contract with the club in August 2005 and initially spent time out on loan to gain much-needed experience.
A player who always showed an aptitude to learning from his peers, he is able to play in a variety of positions but during the last two seasons he has become an accomplished left full-back and at his age he has many seasons left to mature in such a specialist position.
He was the youngest player with the club ever to make 100 Blue Square Premier starts for Rovers and in total he made 177 first-team appearances, scoring seven goals, with his most memorable being his right-footed shot which put his team 3–2 up against Derby County in the 2008/09 FA Cup Third Round.
Due to his age, and that he had been offered re-engagement terms for the forthcoming season, Mansfield have agreed a compensation fee for Stonehouse`s registration.
The amount involved will remain a private matter however between both clubs due to other players at this time being subject of similar possible transactions in and out at the New Lawn and Field Mill.
