By Pete Oliver

Adkins has guided Scunthorpe to the top of League One

From the Birkenhead Sunday League to the top of League One, Nigel Adkins' fledgling management career is almost unblemished.

Taking Scunthorpe to Championship level for the first time in 43 years would take it to its greatest peak yet.

But Adkins is not one to bask in his own glory. "It's about the team and no-one is bigger than the team," he told BBC Sport.

"It's down to good players, that's the top and bottom. You can be the best coach in the world but without the players it will always be difficult."

The February manager-of-the-month award was a fitting reward for Adkins but being pictured alone with the prize did not fit into his ethos.

He would be ready to take the attention from his players in less successful times but so far they are yet to come.

Since taking over the reigns from the long-serving Brian Laws last November, the Iron's former physio, goalkeeping coach and fitness trainer has overseen just one defeat in 20 league games.

That run has taken Scunthorpe six points clear at the top of the table and with a ten-point cushion in the race for an automatic promotion place.

Over the years I have tried to pick up bits of wisdom and knowledge Nigel Adkins

And it is Adkins' relationship with his playing staff has been a major factor in Scunthorpe's challenge for the title.

As physio, the 42-year-old former Tranmere and Wigan goalkeeper did not just treat injuries but also acted as counsellor and agony aunt for a myriad of problems.

Motivation was key then and again now with Adkins consistently getting the best out of a squad he inherited when Laws ended his good work at Glanford Park by joining Sheffield Wednesday.

"It's about constantly trying to deal with situations that arise and trying and help people through situations," Adkins said.

"That's what it's all about - managing situations and trying to get the best out of people and maximise individual potential."

While still playing for Tranmere, Adkins guided a team from the youth division to the premier division of his local Sunday League and then after hanging up his gloves led Bangor City to two League of Wales titles.

He also trained as a physio and 11 years ago moved across to Scunthorpe where his learning curve continued under Mick Buxton and then Laws.

An avid reader and studier of other sports, Adkins has also taken inspiration from seminars given by Steve McClaren and England World Cup winning rugby coach Clive Woodward given during coaching courses.

"Over the years I have tried to pick up bits of wisdom and knowledge," he said.

When the chance came to replace Laws, Adkins was therefore ready to step up and put into practice his beliefs in process, positivity, planning and preparation.

He likes to "control the controllables", leaving nothing to chance in terms of training, diet and discipline.

But at the core of it all is people, with Adkins working closely with senior players Andy Crosby and Ian Barraclough in strengthening the link with the team.

It's fantastic just to even think about the concept of Scunthorpe being in the Championship Nigel Adkins

As part of Laws' backroom staff, Adkins had worked with all the players and only two have arrived - on loan - since he took charge.

Jermaine Beckford has helped plug the gap left by the January sale of Andy Keogh to Wolves, while crucially, Scunthorpe retained the services of 25-goal top-scorer Billy Sharp during the transfer window.

"Eleven individuals do not make a team so you have to gel them all to be a cohesive unit.

"It's been well documented that we have a cohesive unit and then there's the star in Billy Sharp, who gets the glory from being the goalscorer.

"But playing up front, he is also the first line of defence as well," Adkins said.

Sharp's latest goal in a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest last Saturday, played in front of a record crowd of almost 9,000 at Glanford Park, kept one of their main challengers at arm's length.

Sharp has been at the forefront of Scunthorpe's success

"We are so near yet so far," Adkins added. "Over the years I have been at football clubs where we have said "we need six more wins."

"But they have not come because we have not identified how to win those six games.

"We have to concentrate on each game, process, plan and prepare then analyse it, feed it back and move onto the next one.

"And this is an opportunity we should enjoy."

A 15-match unbeaten run has equalled a club record Scunthorpe have set twice before in promotion seasons.

And should they make it a hat-trick, they will play in the second tier of English football for only a second spell in their history - just three years after almost dropping out of the League at the bottom end.

"It's fantastic just to even think about the concept of Scunthorpe being in the Championship," said Adkins.

"Through history we have been in the lower tiers of the Football League and a couple of years ago we faced the abyss of the Conference.

"There has been a hell of a lot of work gone in so that we don't get into that situation again and we have gone up and improved.

"If we had been a good League One club that would have been a realistic aim but now all of a sudden we have given ourselves a chance to dream of being in the Championship.