Luton boss explains why he kept hold of former Derby County youngster

Luton boss Nathan Jones has explained why the Hatters kept hold of summer signing Louie Watson during the transfer window.

The 21-year-old moved to Kenilworth Road from Derby County for an undisclosed fee in July and after missing large chunks of pre-season with an ankle injury, was handed a first start in the Carabao Cup first round defeat to Newport County, catching the eye during Town’s 3-2 defeat.

With Elliot Thorpe, Carlos Mendes Gomes, Admiral Muskwe and Dion Pereira all leaving on loan to get valuable first team experience, on why Watson has stayed put, Jones said: “He’s an under age player, we brought him in and decided to keep him in, as I think he needs the development here, the physicality of getting up to becoming a wonderful footballer.

“He will play for Luton Town, it’s just we’ve really got to get him up to speed and the levels out of possession that we have here.

“But we’re really happy with him, paid money for him, went after him early, got him.

“If we had signed him on deadline day now then it would have been, ‘nice one’ a bit of excitement, but we’re very organised, very methodical and structured here and sometime that can come across as a little bit Bavarian-like.”