Hatters snap up Maltese international Gambin from Barnet

The 23-year-old left-sided midfielder has agreed a two-and-a-half year contract to stay at Kenilworth Road until the end of the 2018-19 season, with the club having an option to extend it for a further year.

Gambin joined the Bees as an apprentice in 2009 and has emerged as one of their main players in recent years, as he helped Barnet win the 2014-15 Conference title before starring as they have established themselves back in League Two over the past 18 months.

He had been placed on the transfer list last week after turning down a new deal with the club and after confirmation he had joined Luton, Town boss Nathan Jones told the club’s official website: “Luke is someone we’ve been monitoring for a long period of time so when the opportunity came for us to have him, we grabbed it with both hands.

“He ticks every box for us in terms of his age, his ability, what he brings to us – he’s what we’re about.

“He’s left footed, which gives us good balance. We’ve been looking for a left-footer for a while.

“Plus he’s hungry and he wants to play for Luton, which is the main thing. He’ll add to our squad, he’ll increase competition and he’ll give us a little bit of guile.”

Gambin has gained six caps for Malta since making his full international debut last May, and would have played against England at Wembley recently if he hadn’t been suspended.

Jones continued: “It’s brilliant in terms of the experience Luke’s been getting in international football, plus he’s been a standout performer for Barnet in this league, so we know what we’re getting from him.

“It’s a good fit because he’s already got great experience, but we want to improve him and he’s a good age. We want him to get better so we can all move forward.

“We’ll be looking at him as a real attacking player and he’ll give us that cleverness that you need to win games at this level. We are delighted to have secured him.”

Gambin, who has four goals to his name so far this season and 15 from 136 Barnet appearances in total, impressed when the Bees were beaten 3-1 at Kenilworth Road on New Year’s Eve.

He added: “I’m really looking forward to the new challenge. The size of the club, the fans, the manager and the quality in the team all made the decision an easy one. I’m excited by it and can’t wait to get started.”