Luton Town must thank Nathan Jones for signing “first class” 72-goal striker
Nathan Jones’ first full season at Luton Town resulted in League Two play-off heartbreak, losing to Blackpool in the semi-finals following a fourth-placed finish.
The Hatters lost just nine games throughout 2016/17 – a league lowest – and Jones was adamant that his side needed to kill games off in the following season to achieve their goal of promotion.
Therefore, Jones looked to bring in serial winners and players who wouldn’t let up on their road to League Two promotion in the 2017/18 season. One of these signings was Crawley Town striker James Collins, who netted 20 times as he helped Crawley beat the League Two drop by five points the season prior.
Jones described Collins as “first class,” and the Irishman was quick to show his class to Luton Town fans as he became the talisman who led the line at the beginning of the road which culminated in Premier League promotion in 2023.
Free-scoring James Collins helped Luton Town to improbable promotion achievement
Luton Town boss Nathan Jones wanted his side to be less naive and more ruthless in games in the 2017/18 season after falling short in the play-offs despite a solid campaign in the season prior.
He told Luton Today prior to the season starting that: “This year we can’t have excuses, can’t have that nativity about us, can’t allow teams to nick draws and cost us our ultimate goal.”
The Hatters showed the ruthlessness with which Nathan Jones wanted his side to play immediately, putting eight past Yeovil Town on the opening day of the season, with new signing James Collins showing exactly what he was going to bring to Kenilworth Road, bagging a hat-trick and assisting a further two.
Collins would net 19 times throughout the league season as well as provide 10 assists, sitting atop the team stats in both categories and in the top six throughout the entire league for both too.
However, his best season for the club came during his sophomore campaign, as he won League One’s Player of the Season, scoring a league-best 25 goals, which helped Luton Town win League One.
In two seasons at the club, James Collins achieved back-to-back promotions. Luton became only the fifth side to go back-to-back from League Two to the Championship since 2000, and no side has been able to do it since.
Their meteoric rise meant that all eyes were on Luton Town ahead of the 2019/20 Championship season, and especially on James Collins, who was ready to embark on his first season in the second tier after scoring a total of 44 goals across both promotion campaigns.
