Ex-Rayo Vallecano boss Iraola appointed by Cherries after Luton's top flight rivals sack O'Neil

Luton’s top flight opponents AFC Bournemouth have moved quickly to replace Gary O’Neil with the appointment of former Rayo Vallecano boss Andoni Iraola as the club's new head coach on a two-year deal.

The 40-year-old was in charge of the Spanish La Liga club for three years, as after winning promotion in 2021, and reaching the Copa del Rey semi-finals the following season, finished 11th last term, before his contract expired this summer.

He had previously been in charge of Segunda División side Mirandés, after starting out in Cyprus with AEK Larnaca, whom he led to the group stage of the Europa League.

Iraola was a right back during his playing days, playing over 500 times for Athletic Bilbao and also featuring for Major League Soccer side New York City, winning seven caps for Spain as well.

After sacking O’Neil this morning following his efforts in keeping the Cherries up last term, AFC Bournemouth owner and chairman Bill Foley told the club’s official website: “We're so excited to welcome Andoni to the club.

"With his contract in Spain coming to an end this summer we wanted to act quickly.

"He was highly sought after by other clubs across the continent, and his style of play has been an important factor in making this decision.

"His achievements in Spain have certainly been very impressive, and we're confident that he is the right man to lead our next chapter.

"We have identified a number of targets in the transfer market, which along with our January additions will supplement our strong playing squad to give Andoni the best chance to consolidate our Premier League status and keep progressing."