Adam Jackson Ends Lincoln City Spell but Continues Training

Adam Jackson’s six-year spell at Lincoln City is over – at least on paper.

The defender has agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent, yet will remain around the club, continuing to train with the Championship side while he searches for a new team.

It is an unusual parting of ways, but it reflects the way this one has unfolded.

Jackson, 32, was told earlier in the summer he would not be named in the Imps’ 25-man squad for the season. The message was clear: game time at Lincoln was effectively over. A move away was expected before the transfer window shut, but nothing materialised.

So the situation drifted. Jackson stayed. He trained. He played just once – a Carabao Cup tie at Blackpool in late August, which Lincoln won – his only appearance of the campaign.

Now the contract has gone, but the relationship hasn’t snapped.

Support from Lincoln City

Lincoln’s sporting director Jez George explained why the club have kept the door open for Jackson to use their facilities as he weighs up his next step.

He said the Imps "will do anything to help Jacko with what comes next in his career", calling it a reflection of the mutual respect between player and club.

That respect has been earned over time. Jackson joined Lincoln six years ago and went on to make 179 appearances in all competitions, a steady presence through promotions, near-misses and rebuilds.

The shirt is no longer his. The training ground still is, for now. The next contract he signs will be somewhere else.