New signing Jordan says gaffer's game will suit him
New signing Jordan Cook believes Nathan Jones’ high-intensity passing game will suit his style down to the ground – and now he can’t wait to get started in a Luton Town shirt.
The 26-year-old, who has signed a two-year deal to become the Hatters’ sixth summer signing, has spent the past two seasons in League One with Walsall since leaving Charlton Athletic in 2014.
The ex-Sunderland forward knows plenty about how his new Kenilworth Road boss wants the game to be played, having turned out several times for Jones’ Addicks Under-21 side during 2012-13.
After joining up with the Luton squad at the pre-season training camp in Hungary, Cook told lutontown.co.uk: “Nathan kept in touch with me for a while, and I’ve always respected him for what he did with me at Charlton, when I came back from injury and I played in his Under-21s team. They always played really good football.
“When I first spoke to him about coming to Luton, he was telling me what he wants to do, and how he wants to get out of this league playing a different brand of football.
“He wants to play proper football – intense pass and move – and that’s what I enjoy most.
“I don’t really see it as dropping down because with the squad Nathan’s got together, I think we could really push on and do well this season and get promoted.”
In his first campaign at the Banks’s Stadium, Cook made 33 starts, including at Wembley in the final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, when Bristol City beat them 2-0.
Last term he started just eight games, but came off the bench 36 times as the Saddlers finished third in League One before losing in the play-off semi-finals to Barnsley.
“My time at Walsall was brilliant – I’m never going to regret moving there,” says Cook. “But I never really played in my position as much as I’d have liked to, and I’m hoping this is going to give me more of a chance to show people what I can do.
“In my first year, I suffered a small fracture in my ankle in the last pre-season game, which wasn’t ideal, then I came back and Tom Bradshaw was playing really well, scoring a load of goals.
“As a result I got – not pushed out to the wing, because I don’t mind playing there – but it’s not my preferred position. Everybody wants to play in their preferred position, don’t they?
“I like to be through the middle, playing up front with somebody, or in the hole, running in behind. Either one of those is probably my most effective position.”
And playing more games is high on his list of priorities with the Hatters.
“Definitely – that’s one of the things that Nathan was mentioning to me, and he knows what I’m like; he knows that when I’m not playing, I hate it,” said Cook. “I’m so competitive, I just want to play every game.
“More game time is a big target for me, and if a lot of games come, hopefully a lot of goals will too.”
Speaking about his new signing, Hatters boss Jones added: “We want to get the best out of Jordan and will look to play him in his preferred position, but we also know he can do a job elsewhere so his versatility appealed.
“He’s a great lad and knowing him like I do, I’m certain he’ll fit in well with the squad we’ve assembled and be a real asset to Luton Town.”