Jones reveals he tried to sign prolific Blackburn striker Armstrong for Luton when the forward was at Newcastle

Luton boss Nathan Jones revealed he tried to sign Blackburn Rovers striker Alan Armstrong during his early days at Luton manager, when the forward was at Newcastle United.

The attacker, now 23, started out at his boyhood club, but it was a loan spell at Coventry City, then in League One, where he really took off, with 20 goals in 40 games.

He then joined Barnsley and Bolton on temporary deals, neither panning out as he might have hoped, before a move to Blackburn in January 2018, where he rediscovered his scoring touch, with nine in 21 appearances.

Armstrong then ended his stay at St James' Park in the summer, leaving the Magpies without scoring in 21 matchesls, heading to Ewood Park permanently and has been a regular on the scoresheet ever since, with over 50 goals now, including 17 this term.

Although he has gone off the boil slightly in recent weeks, finding the net just twice in his last 11 appearances, as opposed to 15 times in his first 16 matches, he still remains one of the most dangerous forwards in the Championship.

Jones admitted he had wanted to bring him to Kenilworth Road earlier in his career, saying: "I remember watching him and Alex Gillead (who did join Luton on loan at the start of the 2016-17 campaign) at Newcastle Under-19s and Under- 21s six or seven years ago when I was at Brighton, and really liking him.

“We tried to get him here in the early days, but he went elsewhere.

"I really like him, he’s one of the better ones and there are some really good strikers in the Championship, all different.

“He’s one that’s a bit diminutive, but pace, movement and can finish."

With Armstrong streets ahead in Rovers' scoring charts, sitting joint second is Liverpool youngster Harvey Elliot, who has impressed after joining from Anfield in October, netting four times.

Jones added: “Harvey Elliot has done fantastically well.

"He’s still young, still developing and has gone to a good club that will have furthered his development, but they’re good players.

“It’s a tough, tough game and they’ve been the Championship level for a number of years with the same manager (Tony Mowbray), same group.

"They’ve added to the group and spent on front players so it’s a tough game, but they’re all tough games.