Young Hatters quintet sign professional development contracts with Luton

Luton have announced that five of the club’s title-winning U18s squad have signed first-year professional development contracts at Kenilworth Road.

Captain Jacob Pinnington, Zack Nelson, Joe Johnson, Jayden Luker and Axel Piesold have all been rewarded with the deals after they impressed for the young Hatters, winning the EFL Youth Alliance South East title by 12 points and reaching the FA Youth Cup fifth round.

Pinnington, 18, joined the Hatters when he was 15-years-old after playing locally in Harpenden and captained the side this season, while Nelson began his career at Tottenham Hotspur’s academy when he was seven.

After being released by Spurs at 15, he joined Luton and has been a revelation this term, scoring a hat-trick against Birmingham City as Town won 6-0 in the FA Youth Cup at St Andrew’s, also scoring in the 3-1 victory over QPR, while being an unused substitute for the first team on three occasions too.

Johnson, 17, began his career at Arsenal academy when he was six years old, let go by the Gunners four years later, joining grass-roots club Focus Football.

He headed to Luton in 2020 and after some stellar performances in the youth team, scoring against Birmingham, was named as a substitute for Luton’s FA Cup fourth round replay with Grimsby Town.

There he was joined by Muswell Hill-born defensive midfielder Axel Piesold, who joined Tottenham Hotspur’s academy when he was seven years old.

The 17-year-old left Spurs and was playing for Dunstable Town before he signed a contract with the Hatters in January after an extended trial.

Finally, central midfielder Luker had been with Lambeth Tigers before joining the Hatters last summer.

The 17-year-old scored against Town when playing for ProDirect East London academy at The Brache, leading to him being offered a trial at Kenilworth Road and was an unused substitute in the first-team’s 1-1 draw with Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup third round.