Bristol City star has no regrets over transfer decision amid Luton Town success
Kal Naismith could only watch on as his former Luton Town teammates won promotion – but he holds no regrets over his move to Bristol City.
Kal Naismith has backed his decision to join Bristol City, despite his former club Luton Town winning promotion.
Naismith – one-year into a three-year deal at Ashton Gate, was a useful player for the Robins last season, playing in various roles. He came in to be a left-sided centre-back but also played as a defensive midfielder.
Despite now gearing up for another season in the second tier whilst Luton taste the glitz and glamour of the Premier League, the utility man backs his decision to sign up to Nigel Pearson’s team. He has made a prediction that in the next two years the club will achieve their dream of reaching the top flight of English football.
He said to The News: ‘I love it at Bristol City, it’s an amazing club, full of good lads all working hard, and fantastic support.
“In my time, this club will get to the Premier League, I know we will, I just have that feeling. I’m still very comfortable with my decision.”
Naismith’s departure was made somewhat sour when he was unveiled. He was to be a free agent that summer and was unveiled by Bristol City, but Luton Town published a club statement. They were ‘surprised’ by Bristol City’s announcement, and claimed it was ‘usual etiquette’ to inform the departing club. He has now opened up on his departure, claiming that talks over a new contract at Luton had gone cold, until he scored an important match-winning goal against Bournemouth.
‘I watched Luton reach the Premier League on TV,” said Naismith to The News.
‘My time there ended on bad terms, the chief executive claimed he didn’t know I was leaving, saying “It’s a surprise to us that Naismith’s going to Bristol City.
‘How can it be a surprise? I have been on the phone to the club every single day, not him personally mind, I spoke to the manager.”
At the time of his departure, Luton had just lost to Huddersfield Town in the play-offs under Nathan Jones. They had a respectable campaign by their own admission, but just not reach the Wembley Stadium final.
Naismith – who had been converted into a centre-back – had been exploring the market, and whilst there being a contract offer on the table, he was keen to explore options. Bristol City had sold the dream to Naismith with an impressive sales pitch, as they showcased their state-of-the-art High Performance Centre training ground.
He continued with: ‘When I first joined, I had signed an 18-month deal and did really well for six months.
“It was a case of “You’re better than we thought, do you want a new deal in the summer?”. My response was “Let’s get it sorted.
‘So I kept asking my agent how it was progressing – yet he had heard nothing. It went on a bit long.
He added: ‘ ‘I scored the winner in a 3-2 win over Bournemouth in January 2022 and a week later the offer was there. It was now February and my contract ended in June.”
