Luton boss looking forward to reunion with ex-Hatters striker in FA Cup tie

Town boss Rob Edwards is looking forward to welcoming back veteran striker Cameron Jerome to Kenilworth Road when the Hatters take on Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.

The 37-year-old moved to Luton in June 2021, signed by previous manager Nathan Jones, as he went on to play 61 times for the Hatters, scoring six goals before moving back to be closer to his family in January 2023, shortly after Edwards had taken over in the dug-out. Signing for the Wanderers on a free transfer, Jerome has made 30 appearances for the Trotters, yet to find the net during his time at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, with 18 outings this term.

He is now expected to play some kind of part in the cup tie tomorrow, as Edwards said: “It’ll be lovely to see Cam. He was brilliant for this football club in the time that he was here, and for us when we were working with him as well, so it will be brilliant to see him.”

Luton won’t be coming up against another former Hatter, flying winger Carlos Mendes, who moved to Bolton in the summer, going on to play 15 times, although mainly as a substitute, as he is away on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Guinea-Bissau. After the Hatters completed a December that contained six matches, they now enter a January with just three fixtures planned, although one more could be added should Town see off the Wanderers tomorrow.

On the tournament, Edwards added: “It’s a great competition. December was extremely busy with a lot going on, on and off the pitch, but January does quieten down a little bit. We concentrate on each match, each game, the next one now is the FA Cup and it’s one we’re really looking forward to, it’s an amazing competition.”