'Outstanding' Foxes midfielder Dewsbury-Hall will be 'hardest to replace' for Hatters captain Bradley

Luton skipper believes Leicester youngster is a special talent
Sonny Bradley hugs Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall after the Hatters beat Watford this seasonSonny Bradley hugs Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall after the Hatters beat Watford this season
Sonny Bradley hugs Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall after the Hatters beat Watford this season

On-loan Leicester City midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will be the hardest player to replace for the Hatters this season according to Town skipper Sonny Bradley

The 22-year-old was Luton's stand-out performer as they finished 12th in the Championship last term, making 41 appearances and scoring three goals, while also providing seven assists too, although that tally could and should have been a lot higher had the Hatters' attackers had their shooting boots on.

It was enough for the midfielder to win four awards at the Luton Town Supporters' Trust presentation evening last night, including the Players' Player of the Season prize.

Town boss Nathan Jones has insisted he will do all he can to try and bring the talented player back to Kenilworth Road next term, while Dewsbury-Hall himself admitted he would 'seriously consider' such a move if he couldn't break into Brendan Rodgers' plans.

It's a deal Bradley would love to see happen too, although he expects the youngster to be featuring at the King Power Stadium instead, saying: "He was my personal player of the year, he’s an outstanding talent.

“Looking back now, I don’t know how we managed to get him in the building. For me, he’s Premier League quality.

“He will be missed and, in my opinion, he’ll be the hardest to replace because of the quality he has.

“I’d love him to come back. I’m sure the club would welcome him back if he decided to do that.

“But it wouldn’t surprise me if he had a break now, went back in with Leicester in pre-season and then broke into their first team, he really is that good.

“He’s one of those that I wake up in the morning and I don’t know too much about, because I’m not going to speak to him too much.

"But I log into my social media and if he was wearing next season’s shirt I don’t know what I’d do, I’d certainly be happy, put it that way."

If Dewsbury-Hall does make it into the first team reckoning at the Foxes then he could be playing in the same team as former Luton defender James Justin.

The 23-year-old had a sparkling second season with Leicester, playing 31 times and scoring three goals, looking odds-on for an England call-up until cruelly suffering an ACL injury in February which ended his campaign.

Speaking about the pair, who were both at Wembley as City won the FA Cup for the first time in their history last month, Bradley added: "To have two players like that who, next season, are probably going to be playing Premier League football, it just puts a smile on your face, if you’re associated with this football club.

"It puts a smile on my face, to recognise that these players have been with this football club in recent years.

“The manager here and everyone at the football club have helped them in their development.

“It makes us happy and everyone at the football is proud to say that these players have been associated with us.

“I think we have to be realistic and recognise that they are going to reach new levels in their career and they’re probably going to do it sooner than what we expected.

“Every time I see them it’s a pat on the back and I hope they push on in their careers and reach the heights that I think they will make."