Craddock had no issues leaving the Premier League for Luton Town

Former Luton striker Tom Craddock didn’t regret for a second leaving the bright lights of the Premier League to sign for the Hatters when he had chance back in May 2008.

Rewind two seasons and aged just 19, the forward, who had come through the ranks at the Riverside, made his debut for Boro in the top flight under manager Steve McClaren, replacing Danny Graham with nine minutes to go in a 1-0 defeat at Fulham.

The following term, Craddock only played once, and this was on loan at Wrexham, as he scored in the 2-0 League Two win over Bristol Rovers, before suffering an injury and unable to break back into the Boro first team on his return.

In 2007-08, the attacker was to feature four more times for Middlesbrough, now with current England boss Gareth Southgate at the helm, as he featured against purs in the Carling Cup, plus Everton and Chelsea, also making his full top flight debut, playing an hour of the 3-1 defeat at Manchester City in October 2007.

Craddock then had a loan spell with Hartlepool, but his carer really took off on signing for Luton in October 2008, scoring four in eight games, including two during his second appearances, a 2-2 draw at Grimsby.

When his original loan was up in January, the striker had three options of going back to Boro, looking for another loan move, heading back to Town permanently.

He took the latter and admitted it was the best thing he could have done, as speaking to the Luton News, Craddock, who scored 38 goals in 86 games for Town, while also winning the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, said: “Two seasons before I joined Luton, I’d gone on loan to Wrexham in the Football League, I was 19 and I’d scored on my debut, but I got injured.

“So I missed the remainder of the season and then the next season, I was in and around the Middlesbrough first team, I was on the bench, made the squad.

“I made a couple of appearances and then made my full debut in the Premier League, but then I got injured again and I didn’t get back in.

“I was on the periphery, just before I’d come to Luton, I scored about 14 goals in six games in the reserve league, which wasn’t like the U23s league it is now, you had professionals who might not have played at the weekend, so it was a pretty decent standard.

“But I was just in limbo, I couldn't get into the Middlesbrough first team, I was travelling very week, I was on the bench and then I got a chance to come to Luton on loan.

“I thought right, it’s a massive club, I’m going to go and score goals and try and prove myself.

“I did that and then it was a recurring theme for me, I got injured when I was on loan and I played four or five games and then I was out for a month with a groin injury.

“I came back on Boxing Day against Chesterfield away and then I scored and was at Luton for most of January and then Luton wanted to sign me or take me back on loan.

“Middlesbrough were umming and aahing, they were telling me to go on loan and maybe I could hang around and find another club, but I was just at the point where I wanted to go.

“I think I was maybe 21, I wanted to go and forge a career for myself and I thought it I go and do that with Luton.

“If we manage to stay up then I think we’ll get promoted, or even if we do go down, then we’ll get back up, and I just wanted to start playing football every week and be a part of something."

The fact that he could call somewhere a permanent abode was also very appealing to Craddock after his two other loan moves.

He added: "Being on loan at Luton and then going back to Middlesbrough, sitting on the bench and not getting, playing in the reserves, it was a step back for me as I wasn’t playing and that’s all you want to do as a young lad.

“So I had the chance to go on loan, but I said I want to become permanent and be a part of it, as if you go on loan, certain things can happen.

“If I was on loan and Richard Money had come in at the end of the season, he would have probably brought his own players in, and I would have been away and then back in the certain situation.

"So it was a drop down in leagues, but it wasn’t a drop down for me as I was going somewhere I really enjoyed and I was just loving playing football.”