Luton announce academy intake with ex-Everton and Reading youngsters joining

Former Everton youngster Dawid Gawel and ex-Reading teenager Kai Source are two of the 10 youngsters to put pen to paper and sign a contract with the Hatters academy recently.

With it being Youth Development Week, then to mark an important point in the football calendar and celebrate the good work undertaken by academies up and down the country, the Hatters’ who have staff members Paul Benson (academy manager), Alex Lawless (U21s head coach) and Joe Deeney (U18s lead coach) a special welcome ahead of Saturday’s League One clash with Plymouth Argyle, have confirmed their latest batch of youngsters who have penned deals at the Brache,

Gawel was born in Swiebodzin, Poland, recently joined the Hatters from the Toffees as he has been a regular on the scoresheet for the Hatters U18s this term, netting in the 4-1 win over Oxford United at the weekend and also scoring a hat-trick when they beat Cheltenham Town 4-2 recently. Describing the player to Town’s official website, Deeney said: “First-year scholar Dawid is a strong, powerful centre forward with a good eye for goal. Dawid holds the ball up well and is capable of scoring a variety of goals with both feet and provides an aerial threat in the opposition box.

Meanwhile, left-sided defensive player Source has joined the Hatters as an U19 following a successful trial period, having featured 42 times for the Royals at youth levels including playing in the U18s Premier League and Premier League 2, with two assists against Fulham U18s and West Bromwich Albion U18s, as he will link up with the U21s squad.

Nassim El-Gourja was also target against the U’s on Saturday, as on the midfielder, Deeney continued: “Nassim is a first-year scholar from West Kensington, London. Nassim joined the club as an Under-8. Nassim is an attacking midfielder capable of playing wide and also as a box-to-box midfielder. Nassim is technically very good. Nassim had a total of 27 goal involvements as an Under-16.”

Meanwhile, Luca Knote-Reed has also joined, with Deeney saying: “Luca is a first-year scholar from Bedford who joined the club as an Under-8. Luca is a centre midfielder who has excellent composure in possession and plays the game with very good 360-degree awareness. Capable of playing as both a deep-lying midfielder and as a box-to-box midfielder.”

Albanian midfielder Alvin Isufi has arrived following a successive trial, having previously been on the books at Watford and having trials with Arsenal when he was younger, while defender Kyrese Richards is on board, with Deeney saying: “First-year scholar from Milton Keynes who earned himself a scholarship after impressing during a pre-season trial. Right sided defender who is quick and athletic and capable of playing as a right-back, right-wingback or right- sided centre-half. A very good communicator with excellent potential and one we are pleased to have signed.”

Defender Rufus Barnes has put pen to paper too, with Deeney saying: “First-year scholar from Steeple Claydon who was signed as an Under-14. Rufus is a right-footed centre back. Rufus is a tough-tackling, aerially dominant defender. Strong, brave and courageous Rufus enjoys defending, making blocks and keeping the ball out of the net.”

First-year scholar Excel Ed-Okungbowa from Hatfield joined the club in November 2022, as Deeney said: “Excel is a strong, powerful left-footed centre forward. He scored over 25 goals during his Under-16 season and provides a real threat on the last defensive line.” Defender Jerome Passley-James has agreed terms, with Deeney saying: “First-year scholar Jerome signed as an Under-15 for the club. Jerome is from Lambeth and is a high-energy central midfielder. He is quick, mobile and a tough-tackling midfielder who excels in terms of midfield regains. Jerome is able to play as both a defensive midfielder and also a box-to-box midfielder.”

Finally, Luke Takawira has also signed terms, with Deeney adding: “First-year scholar who joined as an Under-8 from Luton. Capable of playing on either side as both a winger and full back, Luke has high energy with and without the ball with a low centre of gravity. This makes him exciting in 1v1 attacking and defending situations.”

» The Hatters U18s maintained their excellent start to the season with a fifth win in six matches after a 4-1 victory over previously unbeaten Oxford United U18s at The Brache on Saturday. For the second week in a row Deeney’s side were 2-0 to the good inside the first quarter-of-an-hour, as after Darren Frimpong-Kwakye’s cross was half-cleared, Dawid Gawel was on hand to tap home his 11th goal of the season from six yards.

Eight minutes later the lead was doubled when Oxford again failed to deal with a ball from Frimpong-Kwakye and Ty Lesser finished well with a left-foot strike from 18 yards. It wasn’t until the 58th minute when the third arrived though, Lloyd Asamoah Junior’s cross deflected into the path of Lesser and he finished from 12 yards to score his second.

Three became four on 67 minutes when the Town won a free-kick on the edge of the Oxford penalty area and Nassim El Gourja whipped in a superb low shot into the bottom corner giving the goalkeeper no chance. Straight from the restart Oxford pulled one back from the penalty spot, but keeper Charlie Booth produced several good stops to prevent Oxford from grabbing another consolation as Luton went top of the Youth Alliance table..

On the game, Deeney added: “It was an excellent performance. Considering we were missing seven key players and had a young group, mainly made up of first-years and two under-16s, it was very pleasing. I was happy with the lads’ intensity, pressing and the speed at which they moved the ball to create opportunities.” The U18s travel to Newport County this weekend.

Town: Booth, Richards, Barnes, Evans, Asamoah Junior, Passley-James, El Gourja, Frimpong-Kwakye, Lesser, Gawel, Hincapie-Alfonso. Subs: Swain, Shepherd, Knote-Reed, Burton-Green, Sharp.