Diamond delight as skipper misses Barnet game to see baby born

Wife Nadine gave birth to a daughter at the weekend while Stags were seeing off bottom club Barnet 3-1 to make it double delight for Diamond.

Manager Steve Evans smiled: “What was the big man doing messaging me at 1am and getting me up? I thought it was John Radford.

“But on behalf of all of us at the club, congratulations to Zander and Nadine – another little Diamond is born. Another little Stags supporter!

“Mother and baby are doing great. I did tell my wife this morning that all three were doing great, but she said Zander’s work was done a while ago!

“Zander and his wife are really nice people and there couldn’t have been a baby more welcomed into the world when those two got their hands on it.

“I know the lads have been in touch with him. Well done skipper and we’ll see you tomorrow.”

Evans had no qualms about allowing his captain to miss Saturday’s game.

“These are once in a lifetime days and I couldn’t look at myself genuinely if Zander Diamond was playing for us and his wife was giving birth, which was something he desperately wanted to be around,” he said.

“On Friday the message from me to Zander was clear – we’ll see you after the baby is born, We knew it was going to be over the weekend.”