Cobblers boss Aidy Boothroyd says he is in no rush to open contract talks with top scorer Adebayo Akinfenwa.
The Town talisman scored his 11th and 12th goals of the campaign in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers.
The big man has notched 10 times in the past 12 games, and has now scored 69 times in 134 starts plus 25 substitute appearances for the club over two spells.
In modern times, only Scott McGleish (54 goals in 126 starts, 6 subs) and Jamie Forrester (50 goals in 124 starts, 12 subs) come close to matching that outstanding record, and Akinfenwa enjoys hero status among the Cobblers faithful, who will not want him going anywhere else.
Indeed, many will want the 30-year-old signed on a new deal as quickly as possible.
Akinfenwa is out of contract in the summer, and will be free to talk to other clubs from the beginning of 2013, but Boothroyd doesn’t feel there is any need or rush to try and get the player tied to an extended Sixfields deal.
And that is a policy he will extend to every player in the squad whose deal is scheduled to run out at the end of the campaign.
“Bayo can’t stop scoring, and I am delighted that is the case,” said Boothroyd.
“He always has a goal in him, and when he plays as he did on Saturday he is unplayable.
“We have options and the fact that Bayo knows that if he’s not putting a shift in then he’s coming off, or he won’t start, also helps me because he is the type of person that thrives on that.
“He needs somebody standing behind him all the time, I think that’s when he’s at his best, and I have told him that as well.
“Sometimes if you are easy with players and let them get away with things, they can take advantage, but I absolutely love working with him.
“I am delighted he got his goals on Saturday, but with him I think it is a cruel to be kind situation.”
Asked when he would consider sitting down with Akinfenwa for contract talks, Boothroyd said: “He is out of contract in the summer, but the last thing you do to somebody that is doing really well is give them a bag full of sweets.
“You take the bag away from them, and say ‘right, there is going to be two bags full of sweets here, but you have to keep doing what you are doing’.
“As far as contracts are concerned, I have no interest in any of that with any of the boys that are out of contract in the summer because it is only November.
“Contracts will be given out at the end when it is right to give them out.”
The Cobblers, who are up to 11th in npower League Two and are just two points off the promotion play-off places, are back in action on Tuesday night when they entertain Morecambe at Sixfields (ko 7.45pm).
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