LEICESTER have been ordered to pay an initial £100,000, possibly rising to £225,000, for Bury’s Nicky Adams.

The two clubs failed to agree a fee for the Bolton-born 21-year-old midfielder and a Football League tribunal settled the case on Tuesday.

The ruling states that, after the initial £100,000, the Foxes should pay instalments of £25,000 after the player has made 15, 30 and 45 appearances. Bury will receive an extra £50,000 if the Midlands club are promoted, and a 15 per cent sell on clause has also been inserted.

“We think that it’s a very fair result and, from Bury Football Club’s point of view, they gave us a very fair hearing,” said Shakers director Ian Harrop.

“The hearing lasted about two hours, it was quite complex and involved and we are fairly satisfied with the outcome.

“We have invested six years of this football club’s time in Nicky Adams. Clubs have to realise that if you take a chance on taking our players – you are going to have to pay for them. I thought we had an excellent case and we managed to negate any of Leicester's arguments and the tribunal came down quite strongly in our favour with the arguments that we put to them.

“There has been a case of big club against little club syndrome in these tribunals and that was the one thing that I tried to emphasise at the tribunal. Leicester were saying that they were only a League One club with no money, they were paupers.

“You have to get through to them that realistically that is not the case. As a football club, we have to invest a lot of money in our youth development and in the recent past, youth development has been the life blood of Bury FC. Without that, we probably would not exist.”

Harrop admitted the club were sorry to see Adams go, and added: “Nicky was offered the largest and best deal that we could afford and we wanted him to stay here. But we can't stop players going and we are satisfied with the outcome.”

The tribunal for Dale Stephens’ move from Bury to Oldham is likely to be heard at the end of this month.