Newest recruit Luke Wilkinson on signing for the Hatters
Being reunited with former boss John Still was one of the major reasons why Luke Wilkinson agreed to move to Kenilworth Road from Dagenham & Redbridge.
The 22-year-old centre-half signed an initial one-year contract at Kenilworth Road on Monday to take the number of new faces at the club to six over the summer following the arrivals of Andy Drury, Ross Lafayette, Ricky Miller, Curtley Williams and Paul Connolly.
Wilkinson made 71 appearances for the Daggers having originally been snapped up by Still as a teenager from Portsmouth in 2010.
And the lure of working with Still once more made Wilkinson’s decision an easy one.
“John knows how I play and I know how we wants me to play,” Wilkinson, who admitted he once had a trial at Kenilworth Road before signing for Dagenham, told Hatters Player.
“The gaffer signed me at Daggers and it was a real pull for me. He wanted me, I wanted to come, it was a no brainer.
“Everything just felt right. The club, the manager, the fans. This is the right place for me and I’m keen to kick on now.”
Wilkinson arrives in Bedfordshire after requesting a transfer at the back-end of last season which saw the 6ft 2in defender in and out of the side just a year after he had picked up the Daggers’ Player of the Season award in 2013/13.
“Last season was a frustrating one for me,” said Wilkinson. “I had enjoyed a good season the year before but I missed pre-season with an injury and from that point on I was always playing catch-up.
“Like any footballer will tell you it is brilliant when you’re playing and it’s not so good when you’re not. I’ve come to Luton to prove myself and to get into the team but I’m under no illusions of how difficult that is going to be.”
Still said he and the Dagenham staff likened Wilkinson to a “young Tony Adams” when he first signed at Victoria Road.
But does the Town’s new man describe himself?
“I’m a big, strong centre-half and I’m good in the air,” explained Wilkinson. “I like to play football but I can also do the dirty side.”
You can watch the whole interview with Luke exclusively on Hatters Player. Player is available for as little as 10p per day, or £40 for the season. Player will be the only place to listen to online match commentary on the Town next season. Click here to sign up.