Hatters chief hits out at 'most stupid rule in history' as EFL prevent Luton signing Premier League keeper on an emergency loan

Town manager gives Harry Isted his first league start against Cardiff
Town keeper Harry Isted made his full Football League debut for the Hatters against CardiffTown keeper Harry Isted made his full Football League debut for the Hatters against Cardiff
Town keeper Harry Isted made his full Football League debut for the Hatters against Cardiff

Luton boss Nathan Jones hit out at the Premier League ruling that prevents the Hatters from borrowing an emergency loan keeper from a top flight club.

With Town stopper James Shea suffering a season-ending knee injury against Cardiff City last weekend and second choice Harry Isted not having started a first team game for the club, Jones could have used the loan market to bring in a replacement stopper ahead of yesterday’s game with Blackpool, as he did with West Bromwich Albion’s Alex Palmer recently.

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However, with Palmer now number two at the Hawthorns, a move for the 25-year-old was off the table, meaning Jones had to turn his attentions elsewhere.

Any hopes he had of raiding a Premier League club were swiftly dashed with as EFL rules state that top flight clubs are not permitted to send goalkeepers on seven-day emergency loans to the second tier or below.

That meant that Isted started his first ever league match as the Hatters drew 1-1 with the Tangerines at Kenilworth Road, while youth teamer Jameson Horlick was named on the bench.

Explaining his decision to go with the 24-year-old and not bring in another stopper, Jones said: “We can’t get an emergency keeper, there’s no-one out there, no-one will lend us a keeper, so that wasn’t a decision really.

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"If we could have maybe got someone with a bit more pedigree, we might have, but then it came down to it, we’re quite confident with Harry.

"It’s just having one realistic keeper to play and that’s no disrespect to Jameson, he’s not ready yet, but it’s tough and the most stupid rule in history is you can’t take them from Premier League.

"Premier League have got four keepers in their building, two, three of them never play a football game and then this is an opportunity for them to do something, but you aren’t allowed to take them from the Premier League.”

On putting Horlick, who has been in the youth team this term, on the bench, Jones continued: “He’s 19 and no experience whatsoever, but we trusted Harry.

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"We trusted what we have and that's the way we are at the minute.

"We are backs to the wall, we are doing absolutely everything just to keep moving forward, but it’s a tough spot.”

Although it was his first start for the club in the league, Isted, who impressed when coming on against Chelsea and Cardiff this term, produced another confident display, particularly when claiming crosses, beaten just once from the penalty spot by Gary Madine.

Jones added: “He looked assured, but we defend well.

"We’ve got 18 clean sheets, the highest in the league for clean sheets, so we’re a very, very good defensive unit.

"We know that, but we just can’t fathom for everything that's happening to us at the moment with injuries.”