Hatters defender heads to Belgian top-flight side FCV Dender EH

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Holmes moves out on loan for the rest of the season

Centre half Tom Holmes has left Luton to sign for Belgian top-flight side FCV Dender EH on loan for the rest of the season.

The 24-year-old had joined the Hatters during last year’s January transfer window, signing from League One Reading for an undisclosed fee, before heading back to the Royals where he endured an injury-hit end to the campaign. Arriving permanently at Kenilworth Road in the summer, Holmes made his debut in the 0-0 draw at Portsmouth before earning a first start during the quite brilliant 3-0 victory over Watford in October.

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He scored his first goal for the club when Town hit back to beat Derby County 2-1 in December, inadvertently turning Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu’s fierce strike over the line, going on to make 20 appearances this term, with 15 starts in the second tier, although wasn’t included in the match-day squad at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday after losing his place to Mads Andersen following the 3-2 defeat at Oxford United.

Tom Holmes has left the Hatters to join FCV Dender EH on loan - pic: David Horn / PRiME Media ImagesTom Holmes has left the Hatters to join FCV Dender EH on loan - pic: David Horn / PRiME Media Images
Tom Holmes has left the Hatters to join FCV Dender EH on loan - pic: David Horn / PRiME Media Images

Holmes has now joined a Dender side who sit 11th in Belgium’s Pro League and host St. Truiden this weekend, having lost 5-0 at Sporting Charleroi in their last fixture. Discussing his reasons behind letting the defender leave, despite Reece Burke and Teden Mengi still both being injured, Luton boss Matt Bloomfield said: “There’s a lot of competition now at centre-half with Kal (Naismith) coming in, and I think Mads Andersen and Mark McGuinness have done well in the last couple of games.

“We hope to have Reece Burke fit and competing at some point as well, so we have a lot of options in that area. We need to register 25 players and we’ve got a big squad, so it’s about making sure that the numbers are right. Tom did really well in the first couple of games but found himself out of the team again, but this is a really exciting opportunity to go and play some football in Belgium and we all hope he does well out there.”

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