Ex-Hatter Andy Dibble felt Town keeper Simon Sluga would have benefited from spell out of Luton XI

Former Luton goalkeeper Andy Dibble believes that current Town number one Simon Sluga would have benefited from his spell out of the team earlier in the season.

The 27-year-old Croatian international was Town's record ever signing in the summer, costing over £1.5m when arriving from HNK Rijeka.

He started Luton's first 11 league games, but despite making some outstanding saves, also let in a number of soft goals, eventually losing his place after two huge errors in the 2-0 defeat at Derby County on October 5.

That led to a period on the bench, with League One golden glove winner James Shea taking his place, before Sluga returned to the first team at Christmas and played the last 11 matches before the season was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He kept three clean sheets in that time, letting in just 15 goals, and made a stunning stop to preserve Luton a point in their final outing at Wigan Athletic on March 7 which ended in stalemate.

Dibble, who played 39 times for Luton between 1984-88 and is now goalkeeping coach at Championship rivals Cardiff, said: "I've seen clips of him and the games he played against us, he’s done well.

"Like all goalkeepers, I know he's had a bit of a sticky patch, but before he came to Luton, I always thought quite highly of him.

"Adapting to English football is a different type of football to what he has played in, but the lad's definitely got potential, although that potential might take time to come through.

"Yes, the continental way of football all over Europe is very different to England.

"He's probably not been used to a league where like the Championship, there’s so many direct balls coming into the box.

"So just from that point of view, straight away, it's a different ball game, where he's played before probably the game was more in front of him, with a slower approach and not as quick.

“If you look at all the best goalkeepers in the world, nobody ever plays out of their skin week in week out, year after year.

"Every single goalkeeper, if you looked down the history of goalkeepers, all the top lads at some stage during their career, have had an indifferent spell when it probably does them good to come out of the team and then they come back fresh and bounce back.”

After leaving Luton in 1988, just after his penalty save in the Littlewoods Cup Final saw the Hatters defeat Arsenal 3-2 to win the only major trophy in their history, Dibble played for a number of sides including Manchester City, Stockport County and Wrexham until hanging his gloves up in 2006.

He went into coaching at Accrington Stanley, with spells at Coventry City, Peterborough United and Rotherham United, before heading to the Bluebirds in 2017 where he has stayed ever since.

Dibble added: “I love my time coaching, I’m back with my first club Cardiff City, my hometown club, back in south Wales and I've really enjoyed it.

"We had a big year two seasons ago in getting to the Premier League, which was a fantastic promotion and a fantastic achievement.

"Sadly we only stayed there one season, but it was a brilliant experience working in the Premier League, pitting yourself against the best.

"For me on a personal note, it was sad to get relegated, but my goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, was the player of the season, so that was a nice thing to happen."