Hatters defender Lockyer reveals former side Bristol Rovers made a bid to sign him this season

Luton defender Tom Lockyer has revealed that former side Bristol Rovers made a bid to re-sign him earlier in the season.

The 27-year-old is something a hero at the Gas having joined the club as a 16-year-old back in 2011 after being released by hometown club Cardiff City, coming through the ranks with the Pirates and going on to play almost 300 games in a seven year career at the Memorial Ground, before heading to Charlton in 2019.

A move to Kenilworth Road followed in September 2020, but the Welsh international was out of the reckoning at Kenilworth Road when the campaign begun, admitting earlier this week that he had asked previous manager Nathan Jones if he could move out on loan to get regular football.

That request was denied, Lockyer eventually going on to flourish with the Hatters, becoming one of the first names on the teamsheet in recent weeks, and is now part of the Wales squad who are currently out in Qatar for the World Cup Finals.

Speaking to Rovers’ match-day programme recently, the centre half said: “The club actually came in for me at the start of the season.

“Not that I knew it - I wasn’t in the manager Nathan Jones’ thoughts and hadn’t started the season but then I made the team and haven’t looked back.

“I only found out about Rovers’ interest when I went to watch them beat MK Dons.”

Although Jones has recently left Luton, to test himself in the Premier League with Southampton, Lockyer hoped that his ex-manager can become a success in the top flight, along with assistant boss Chris Cohen and first team coach Alan Sheehan.

He added: “I wish him all the best to be fair.

"He’s been fantastic with me since I’ve come in.

"I wasn’t saying that after four games this season!

"I wish him all the best, the staff he has taken with him have been really good.

"They’ve helped me a lot and not just me as well.

"You can tell they really care about their job and their players.

“I don’t have a bad word to say about them.

"He is a really proud Welshman, you might have seen that at the stands in Swansea.

"He’ll definitely be cheering us on and he’s let me know how proud he is of me already.”