Town snap up promising duo ahead of 2014/15 campaign
- Defender Mark Onyemah signs from Thurrock
- Striker Charlie Walker arrives from Peacehaven & Telscombe
- Both have impressed during Town's pre-season friendlies
- "Both very talented players," says John Still
The Hatters have completed the signings of Mark Onyemah and Charlie Walker from Thurrock and Peacehaven & Telscombe respectively following successful trials.
Onyemah, 19, is a left-back by trade and has penned a two-year contract with the Club. Striker Walker, 24, has signed an initial one-year deal.
Both players reported for pre-season training with the Town and have taken part in the pre-season fixtures at AFC Kempston, Hitchin Town and AFC Dunstable.
Onyemah rose through the youth ranks at Thurrock and played 20 times for the Fleet last term. He made his debut for the first team as a 16-year-old.
Prolific forward Walker notched an impressive 43 goals for Peacehaven last season as they won a Ryman South and Sussex Senior Cup double. He scored two goals in the 4-0 win at AFC Dunstable on Saturday.
Town boss John Still told lutontown.co.uk: “Both Mark and Charlie have impressed us all with their attitude and quality. They are two very talented players who are capable of doing very well for our football club.
“Mark’s a young boy and I’m pleased with what I’ve seen but he’s still learning; and Charlie is an out-and-out goalscorer.
“They’ll be no pressure on either of them to produce straight away. I know what they are capable of and I believe in their potential. They will gradually find their way and if they do more than okay straight away then that’s fantastic.”
The duo’s arrival at Kenilworth Road takes the tally of new faces to join the club this summer to nine with Curtley Williams, Paul Connolly, Ricky Miller, Ross Lafayette, Andy Drury, Luke Wilkinson and Lee Angol also penning contracts.
And Still is excited with how his squad is shaping up – for this season and beyond.
He said: “In the next two, three, four years we want to be finding and developing those young and hungry players to give us an incredibly strong, youthful and exuberant team that all want to play for Luton.
“We’re adding to the squad at the ‘top’ end with the signings of Luke Wilkinson, Andy Drury and Paul Connolly and then we’ve got a group of younger ones that we feel can carry us forward in the longer term. We’re trying to build something and create something as we go – and that excites me.”