Willem Tomlinson left Mansfield Town under something of a cloud as boss Graham Coughlan said the former Rovers youngster broke his trust.

Tomlinson was released by the club on Wednesday, only a matter of weeks after the club took up the 12-month option within his contract.

Since then, the 22-year-old has turned out for Accrington Stanley as a trialist, including against Rovers in a behind closed doors match.

Tomlinson left Rovers last February, ending his 10-year association with the club, and joined the League Two side for who he made 33 appearances.

However, Coughlan revealed the decision to let Tomlinson go was owing to a breach of trust and that he ‘let the football club down’.

"Willem let himself down on a number of occasions, only once, I may add, with myself,” Coughlan told the Mansfield Chad.

"He's obviously a player I liked and it did haunt me. I put my arm around him when I came through the door.

"That doesn't mean he's a bad player, because we let him go. He's a good player, he just needs to sort himself out.

"I felt he broke my trust. I felt he let himself, the changing room and the football club down."

Tomlinson played 10 times for the Rovers first-team, having made his debut against Manchester United in the FA Cup tie of February 2017.

Two years later his time at the club came to an end, and he now finds himself looking for a new home after release by Mansfield.

"It's not nice when you have to sit down with a kid and go through his misdemeanours and try to get them on the straight and narrow,” Coughlan added.

"I failed. I didn't get him on the straight and narrow and that hurt me. It does haunt me.

"We wish him all the best and thank him for his efforts."