Nigel Clough has got his summer transfer business underway after agreeing a deal to sign powerful centre-half Jake Buxton.

The 24-year-old will pen a one-year deal with the option for a further 12 months upon the expiry of his contract this summer with newly-promoted Burton Albion, Clough's former club.

Clough took Buxton to the Pirelli Stadium from Mansfield Town last summer and says the player will "walk across broken glass" to come to the Rams.

The gaffer said: "He will come in hoping to take his chance and give it a good go. Jake's attitude is first-class and we hope he will surprise a few people.

"He is one of those lads who will put his body on the line and throw himself at absolutely everything.

"Jake does not have the experience at this level but he will make up for that with the desire and heart he has."

Buxton's former Mansfield team-mate Alex Baptiste made the step up to the Championship last summer with a move to Blackpool and has gone on to be a big success at Bloomfield Road.

Clough, who took Baptiste on loan to Burton in 2004, believes Buxton has the right attributes to follow the same path.

He said: "We went up to watch a game just after Christmas and Alex wasn't in their team but since that point he has been doing very well.

"He doesn't look out of place in this division and did very well when he played against us at Pride Park.

"Alex was Jake's defensive partner at Mansfield in League 2 and there is nothing to stop players coming through from the lower leagues."

Buxton was born in Sutton-in-Ashfield and came through the ranks at Mansfield, his local club, after winning the Stags' youth team player of the year award in 2002.

He made his debut later that year in a Football League Trophy game against Crewe Alexandra - as a late substitute after Rob Hulse had scored a hat-trick for the Alex - and went on to make 174 appearances for the Stags.

In 2006/07 he was named the Field Mill club's captain, becoming one of the youngest skippers in the country.

Clough snapped him up for Burton after Mansfield's relegation from League 2 and was rewarded with a series of commanding performances.

Buxton played over 40 games last season as the Brewers won promotion to the Football League for the first time in their history.

Jake Buxton in action for Burton. Picture by Getty Images