Ex-Everton and Newcastle winger believes a new deal with 'special, special' Luton is 'almost there'

Former Spurs and Newcastle winger Andros Townsend insists he and the Hatters are ‘almost there’ when it comes to signing a new deal to remain at Kenilworth Road.

The 32-year-old had penned a short term contract with Luton back in October, having thought his playing days might be over with no takers following his exit from Everton and not having kicked a ball in over 18 months due to serious anterior cruciate ligament injury. However, Town boss Rob Edwards gave him the opportunity to resurrect his career and the England international has grasped it with both hands, making 11 appearances, eight of them from the start, scoring once and grabbing two assists as well.

With his deal running out in January, asked how talks were going over a fresh one, Townsend said: “I don’t want to count my chickens before they’re hatched, but I think we’re almost there. There wasn’t much work as this is the club that gave me my chance when no-one else would so it wasn’t a case of pitting them against other clubs, it was Luton and Luton only.

"I think we’re on the cusp of something special, so it would be difficult to leave half-way through and we’re almost there, but I don’t want to get excited until it’s signed on the dotted line.”

Edwards himself certainly hoped that new terms could be agreed with the England international, saying: “We’re working on it as we speak. I think he’s really enjoying it here and appreciates that we probably help each other and hopefully we can do that for a while longer yet. I’ve been really pleased. We’re talking to him and trying to get something agreed, which would be great for us because he’s been brilliant since he’s come in.”

As Townsend hadn’t played since March 2022 ahead of his move to Luton, Edwards felt it had been clear for both parties that a short term deal was the sensible thing to do to begin with. Any doubts that Townsend could still cut it physically in the top flight were quickly answered as the attacker has gone on to start eight of Town’s last nine matches, including all three over the Christmas period.

The Hatter chief continued: “That was natural to have that concern and I don't think he took any offence to that at all. He understood he had to prove that, he’d been out for a long time through no fault of his own at all. But it became quite apparent quite early on, he affected games when he came on first, he was getting the minutes and he's had to play himself fit, we've had to play him to get him fit.

"He’s very very quickly got up to the speed of it as that’s what he’s been used to for however many years that he’s been playing, so it’s not taken him too long to get up to speed.”

Having now been at Kenilworth Road for over two months, Townsend has often spoken glowingly about his time with the Hatters. Asked just what it was about the club that has had an effect on him, he added: “First and foremost, the aim was to just get back playing, get back playing in the Premier League, that was the special thing. But along the way, I’ve been lucky enough to have joined a special, special club, a club who are special and went through the leagues long before I joined.

"I think we can do something really special this season. We all believe that in the dressing room and that was the main reason why I’m signing on and hopefully we can do that.”