Jones had hoped Hatters would turn down Foxes bid for Justin but understands why they didn't

Former Hatters defender James JustinFormer Hatters defender James Justin
Former Hatters defender James Justin
Luton boss Graeme Jones admitted he had hoped the Hatters board would turn down Leicester City’s offer for James Justin last month, but could totally understand why the full back was allowed to leave.

The 21-year-old academy graduate moved to the King Power Stadium for a club record transfer fee, surpassing the £3m that Town received for Curtis Davies back in 2005.

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Justin, who had been with the club since the age of seven, was a huge part of Hatters' promotion to the Championship, playing 52 times last season, the majority of those appearances coming at left back.

When asked if it was a deal the club just couldn’t really reject, Jones said: “I hoped they would, but no, I understand.

“I think JJ’s situation was unique, he gave everything he had to Luton Town and he had a huge contribution to the success here, so sometimes you have to respect that.

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"This diamond system really relies heavily on the attacking full backs, so it’s up to us to find a replacement.

"I knew already that Dan Potts was well capable in that position and we're now stronger as we’ve brought Brendan Galloway in."

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