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Krul named on the PFA Players’ Board

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Luton goalkeeper Tim Krul has been named on the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Players’ Board, along with Tottenham Hotspur defender Ben Davies and Leicester City’s England international Conor Coady.

The 36-year-old moved to Kenilworth Road in the summer of 2023, but has only played six times for the Hatters, all of those appearances coming in the cup competitions, as he spent last season on the bench in the Premier League behind Thomas Kaminski. The experienced stopper, who has won 15 caps for the Netherlands, joins former Town defender Donervon Daniels in being elected by their fellow members of the union on to the board.

The 30-year-old spending a season at Kenilworth Road between September 2019 and August 2020, with four outings and one goal, that coming in a 3-2 victory over Derby County, before heading to Doncaster Rovers on loan. He then signed for Crewe Alexandra, joining Walsall in January 2022, recently passing 100 appearances for the Saddlers.

A statement on the PFA website said: “The 13-person Players’ Board, which acts as the ‘voice of the changing room’ in the running of the PFA, includes ten current members, with two players elected from the Premier League, each division of the EFL, and the Women’s Super League (WSL). The newly elected group contains players with a wide mix of experience from across the divisions, including PFA members who have played in World Cups, European Championships and the Olympic Games. They will join three former players on the Players’ Board.

PFA CEO Maheta Molango, who turned out for SV Wacker Burghausen, Brighton & Hove Albion and Lincoln City in his playing career, said: “The Players’ Board plays a vital role for the PFA, reflecting the views of our members and ensuing that we, as the players’ union, are working on the issues that are important to them. There are so many players who have a lot to offer to the game and to the PFA, and who care about and value the work we do. The Players’ Board is a really important channel to get those members involved, and I’m really looking forward to working with them.”

The 10 PFA members newly elected to the players’ board are Omar Beckles (Leyton Orient), William Boyle (Wrexham), Lucy Bronze MBE (Chelsea), Adam Chicksen (Notts County), Conor Coady (Leicester City), Steve Cook (QPR), Donervon Daniels (Walsall), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Tim Krul (Luton Town) and Kim Little MBE (Arsenal).

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Midfielder to spend new season with the Reds

Luton youngster Axel Piesold has joined Northern Ireland Premiership side Clifonville on loan for the 2024-25 campaign.

The 19-year-old, who was born in Muswell Hill, came through the ranks at Tottenham Hotspur having moved to the north London academy at the age of seven, and then had a spell with Dunstable Town, before joining the Hatters in February 2023. He signed a professional development contract a month later, having been involved on the bench when Luton lost 3-0 to Grimsby Town in the FA Cup.

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Piesold was involved in Town’s Premier League campaign last season, named in the match-day squad for a number of top flight matches in the latter stages of the campaign with Luton suffering a huge injury crisis. Having been involved in the U21s and featuring in the 3-1 loss at League Two Port Vale last week, the teenager will now go to Solitude for the upcoming campaign.

He joins a side that finished third last season, and also lifted the Irish Cup for the first time in 45 years when beating Linfield 3-1, although missed out on UEFA Europa Conference League qualification in July. The Reds are managed by former Southampton, Oxford and Ipswich midfielder Jim Magilton, who was also capped 52 times by Northern Ireland, with over 550 professional games under his belt. Piesold will be looking to make his debut when Cliftonville start their season at home to Portadown on Sunday.

» Jayden Luker scored as Luton’s U21s lost out 4-1 to National League South side Slough Town on Tuesday night. With Aidan Francis-Clarke in the side along with Aribim Pepple, Luker netted in the second period to earn the Hatters a consolation strike. The U21s had also lost 4-0 against National League North outfit Kings Lynn Town at the weekend, while Town’s U18s drew 2-2 at Colchester United’s U18s on Saturday, Matthew Takawira and a trialist scoring.

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Pleat leaves role with Tottenham

Former Luton manager David Pleat has stepped back from his scouting duties for Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

The 79-year-old, who made 79 appearances and scored 10 goals for the Hatters during a playing career in which he also featured for Nottingham Forest, Shrewsbury Town, Exeter City and Peterborough United, returned to Kenilworth Road as manager back in 1978. Widely regarded as one of the best to ever take charge of Town, Pleat led Luton to Division One, then the top tier of English football, in 1982, and kept them up for a number of years afterwards, most memorably with a final day 1-0 victory at Manchester City in 1983.

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Having left for Spurs in 1986, leading the club to third in Division One and the FA Cup final too, Pleat then came back for a second spell as manager at Luton in 1991, staying for four seasons until his departure in 1995 to take over at Sheffield Wednesday. In January 1998, he was back at White Hart Lane as the club’s first Director of Football, having three spells as caretaker manager until his exit in May 2004.

Pleat was back at Spurs six years later as part of the scouting department, a role he carried out for almost 15 years, while he still makes time to attend Luton matches whenever possible too. Speaking to the north London club's official website, Pleat said: “Football is my life and continues to be. Spurs has been a huge part of that. However the game and its methods change and it’s time for me to now step back from my scouting role. I look forward to watching the club have great success in the coming years. I hope to continue my association with the game.”

Meanwhile, chairman Daniel Levy added: “I would like to thank David for his contribution over so many years and in so many ways. He had, and continues to have, an encyclopaedic knowledge of the game and players. I know he will continue to enjoy watching our games at all levels.”

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Centre half heads to the New Dean on a permanent basis

Former Spurs defender Japhet Tanganga, who had been linked with a move to Luton during the transfer window, has agreed to join Town’s Championship rivals Millwall on a permanent basis.

The 25-year-old was a free agent this summer after being released by Premier League Tottenham Hotspur after spending 15 years with his boyhood club, making 50 appearances in that time. Last term Tanganga went on loan to Bundesliga side Augsburg in September but didn’t make a single appearance while out in Germany, named on the bench just once, before being recalled by Spurs in January, the former England youth international then heading to the New Den.

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He played 18 times, scoring twice and has now returned to the Lions, although will miss the opening three matches of the upcoming 2024-25 campaign after being sent off in the final game at Swansea City. Town have often been rumoured to be looking at the defender, including during their Premier League season, but those can now be put to bed with today’s announcement.

Speaking to Millwall TV, Tanganga said: “I just want to say thankyou for the way you guys welcomed me last season. Honestly I felt a level of love that a lot of football players you want to feel and being rewarded with your performances. Now I’m here permanently, I look forward to seeing you guys at the Den and I hope we can do a lot more than what we achieved last season.”

Meanwhile, boss Neil Harris added: “From my perspective, I’ve got a really strong relationship with him. Obviously he was the number one target in the summer to try and get him, not only because he fitted in brilliantly with how we want him to be, be the best version of Japhet Tanganga, but he’s fitted in brilliantly in the changing room, the fans have taken to him immediately with his performances, the way he played the game, a big heart.

"He’s just a very, very good player and people say to me ‘what’s his great attributes?’ And I can go through it for hours and hours. There’s still areas where he needs to improve his game and where he wants to improve his game, but ultimately he’s a fantastic player.”

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England U19 international reportedly interesting the Hatters

Luton are believed to have shown an interest in signing Tottenham Hotspur youngster Jamie Donley on loan for the upcoming season.

The 19-year-old, who was born in Northern Ireland, started out with Colchester United’s academy, moving to north London at the age of eight. After impressing when coming through the ranks, Donley played twice for the club's U21s in their EFL Trophy campaign during the 2022-23 season, a goalless draw at Wycombe Wanderers and 1-0 loss to Stevenage. Last term, he continued to feature in the competition, netting twice in the 5-0 win at Colchester in the EFL Trophy, also making three more appearances.

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Donley then made his Premier League debut when coming on in the final minute of the 3-3 draw at Manchester City in December, also featuring in the 4-1 win over Newcastle United too. Remaining on the fringes of the first team, he also appeared in the 1-0 victory over Burnley in the FA Cup and had the final moments of the 3-2 win over Brentford in January.

The forward also played in as Spurs lost out 5-4 on penalties to Newcastle in a post-season friendly out in Australia just three days after the campaign had finished, on target with his effort from 12 yards. Donley was a regular in the Premier League 2 last term, scoring five goals in 17 matches, including a brace in the 4-2 victory over Chelsea U21s.

The campaign before, he managed three goals in 21 matches, to make it eight goals in 41 appearances overall, with 15 assists too. It was in the U18 Premier League where he really made his name, with five goals in six matches during the 2022-23 season, while in 2021-22, he notched 16 goals in 18 games, with braces over Aston Villa, Reading and West Ham and Brighton, finding the net 24 times in 34 outings, adding 10 assists as well.

Football.london now reporting the Hatters and Championship rivals Oxford United are interested in the striker, who has also been recognised at international level, playing for England U17s, scoring two goals in five matches. He also scored twice in two matches for Northern Ireland U19s, but is now back with the Three Lions again, netting five goals in seven games for England U19s.