Joe Rowley takes pay cut after signing new Chesterfield contract

The 21-year-old, who was set to become a free agent at the end of the season, has signed an extended deal until the summer of 2022.

Rowley, who is going to be out for around five weeks with a hamstring injury, is believed to have been one of the higher earners at the club after signing a new deal when Town were in the Football League.

“Joe has been realistic about his wage demands,” boss James Rowe said. “I think that was important for his age, where he is at.

“He is working within the new budget structure for his wage demands so I think that is important as well that financially it works and it is realistic in where he is in his development.”

On what that shows about his commitment to the club, Rowe added: "I think it shows that he is intrinsically motivated to kick-on now and develop his game and that he also wants to do the best for the club.

“He does a lot for the community as well which is important because we are a community club.”

The midfielder is likely to miss at least a month of action after suffering a hamstring injury in the first half of the goalless draw against Boreham Wood.

“It is a grade two so he will be around five weeks,” Rowe revealed.

“You never know with hamstrings, they can heal quicker or sometimes you can get setbacks so we don’t know too much on the timescale but roughly around a month or so on him.

“It is a little bit better than we thought and he is positive about it.”

The Spireites manager said he is ‘really happy’ to keep Rowley and that he is an ‘asset’ to the club.

“We have to protect our assets and he has shown massive potential to really kick on and develop his game,” Rowe added.

“I think because he has been around quite a while people forget his age.

“He just needs a bit of confidence which he seems to have regained.

“Hopefully when he comes back from his injury he can regain that form quickly and kick-on.”