Edwards doesn't want to pigeonhole exciting Hatters youngster Nelson

​Luton boss Rob Edwards doesn’t want to pigeonhole young midfielder Zack Nelson as he continues to learn his trade at senior level for the Hatters.

The 19-year-old is making great strides with Town this term, as having joined the club after leaving Tottenham Hotspur and starring for the U18s, he was elevated to training with the first team, handed his Premier League debut during the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace last season, also getting another appearance in the 5-1 loss to Manchester City.

Nelson then made his full debut during the 4-1 loss to Burnley in Luton’s opening Championship contest of the campaign, playing in a slightly deeper role, with a stunning first ever goal following when rifling home a superb half volley against QPR in the Carabao Cup having been given license to attack more at Loftus Road. He made cameos against Preston and QPR, earning his maiden England call-up this month too, playing 90 minutes for the Elite squad in the 2-0 victory over Romania at Edgeley Park.

Asked just where he sees him deployed in the future, Edwards said: “We laugh about it as so much is made now of six, eight, ten, and all that sort of stuff. I just think he’s going to be a midfield player where he can run there (forwards) and run there (back), and everything in between, I think that’s what he’ll be. He can run, he can handle the ball and that’s what we want to encourage him to do. He’s in this position at the moment now where we can push and demand and try to get more and more and more.

"It’s get as fit as you can, as strong as you can, be as brave as you can and get on the ball as much as possible to affect the game and let’s see, but he’s shown really good attributes in different positions already. We don’t really want to pigeonhole him too much at the moment, I just think he’ll be a midfield player and allowed to try and be the best version of him as we can.

“It’s a little bit like if we almost played two in there, he plays in one of those two and we don’t ever try and hold him back. So if he plays in there it will be, get forward when you can, but at the right time if you need to try and stop the counter attack and lock it out and give us some control, he can do that as well. So a good footballer.”

Nelson’s determination to improve himself physically during the close season is paying off, as did his performances during Town’s warm-up matches, especially when he scored twice in the 3-2 defeat to Turkish top-flight side Göztepe out in Slovenia. It has allowed Edwards to know the teenager can cope with the extra exposure to first team football this term, as he continued: “I said in pre-season how excited we were with him.

"They go away for four, five, six weeks and sometimes young players come back a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger, a little bit more belief. I think he impacted pre-season really well, got better and more confident as it went on. He’s made a really good start to the season, so what’s brilliant now is that there’s a real confidence in us, whether he starts or whether he comes on, that he can have an effect on the game for us.

"He’s really confident at the moment which is great. Richie (Kyle, assistant) went up to watch the game the other night and said he did really well which is great. He’s in a good spot at the moment and with young players there’s always peaks and troughs, dips and things like that. But what I’ve loved about Zack this year is that whatever we’ve asked him to do, he’s played in a number of positions, but he’s been really, really effective in all of those, so it shows the intelligence that he’s got.

"It’s great for me as a coach for me to think, depending on what the game is, we can use him in a deeper role or higher up. A brilliant goal against QPR in the cup, so we want him to try and add that even more to his game, goals and assists, as that means then you've got a real player. He’s doing well, he’s very grounded so he won’t get carried away with anything either. It’s good that he’s confident, he’s in a good spot and I think he’s at the right club to really help him over the next couple of years.”

It’s not just Nelson who has earned youth international honours in the last few weeks, with summer signing Reuell Walters included in the Elite squad matches, while young defender Joe Johnson represented England at U19 level as well. On the trio, Edwards added: “It’s brilliant, I’m really proud of the football club, but proud of them.

"It’s great for them and their families. They all went and did very well as well, so I think there’s a really bright future ahead for some of our really talented young players here who have already got great experience this season, playing good minutes and having an impact for us. It’s really, really good. We think they’ve got huge futures ahead of them those three and there’s others as well, but it’s great for them to get that recognition.”