Luton chief confirms he wants to sign West Ham youngster permanently

Hatters boss Jack Wilshere has confirmed he wants to sign West Ham youngster Gideon Kodua on a permanent basis following yet another terrific display during last night’s 3-0 win over Leyton Orient.

The 21-year-old put Town ahead with a scorching drive from 20 yards that flew into the bottom corner to score for a second successive game over the festive period, and remained as the club’s leading marksman with eight to his name for the season. When joining Kenilworth Road in the summer under previous manager Matt Bloomfield, Kodua, who spent last term on loan at Wycombe Wanderers, making just two starts in the league, with 18 outings off the bench during his second spell at the Chairboys, penned a deal that included an option to buy.

Asked if that was now something he was looking to take up, Wilshere said: “Yes, for sure, that is in my opinion a really good signing with a really good option in it. He’s stepped up and I always think that’s a bit of pressure as well for a young player to come, because from the club’s point of view, it’s almost like a trial. He’s taken it so I think yes, for sure (we want to sign him).

“For a young player, I know this is his second loan and he probably didn’t play as much as he wanted last year, but I feel like he’s really found a home here. The players love him, the staff love him, he wants to get better. He’s a guy who’s coming knocking on the coaches door to go through clips and that’s what you get, you get improvement. It gives you a little bit more confidence and he always looks a threat I think.”

Kodua’s goal when it came was a hallmark of just how Luton are looking to play under Wilshere as following a few close range passes in defence, Mads Andersen looked up and targeted the feet of the attacker, who had come off the left wing to move into a central area, with a far more ambitious attempt. O’s centre half Omar Beckles made the crucial mistake of jumping out to try and intercept, and when unable to do so, it allowed Kodua to collect the ball, spin away, drive forward and thrash past Tommy Simkin into the bottom corner from just outside the box.

Discussing the strike, Wilshere continued: “It was a top pass and it reminded me of the moment against Reading, their second goal. Gideon tried to control a pass from Teden (Mengi) and he lost it, they regained it and we were a little bit out of shape. It was a top touch from Gideon, a top pass from Mads. We’ve challenged Mads to do that a little bit more, take a little bit more risk with his passing as he has a good passing range. He can make longer passes, he can make passes through and Gideon is comfortable in those positions, so really happy with that goal.

“He took it early and he’s asked about that, asked questions about that, about scoring and finishing. He practices finishing a lot, different types of finishes, and actually as well, which we’ll sit down and go through it with him, I thought at times he maybe overdid it, too many touches and gave it away at times. But what I love about him is he’ll go and do it again, go and try and do it again, loses the ball, but then he’ll try and get it back quickly. He never loses his spirit, and that’s important because as a young player you’re not always going to make the right decision, but he’s starting to do so more consistently and hopefully he can keep going now.”

It was only a few weeks ago that Kodua was earning himself a supersub tag that Wilshere insisted he wouldn’t want, coming off the bench and scoring late goals for the club, with three of his five strikes in stoppage time and the other two past the 80-minute mark as well. Having now begun the last five league games, his best run since arriving in Bedfordshire, the former Hammers U18s captain has started to become a threat in the first half too, with two of his last three efforts inside the opening 10 minutes.

Asked just how he has shifted himself from the bench to becoming a regular starter, Wilshere said: “The commitment he has to his development. After the Reading game, I was sat at the front of the bus and there was a tap on my shoulder and it was Gideon. He wanted to have a chat, he wants to know what he can do to improve, what he can do to get better, and he does that constantly, but that’s his mentality, that’s after a defeat, he comes to the front of the coach to ask the gaffer straight away and that’s who he is.

"He has a real warmth about him, an energy, and the lads feed off it. The players love him and the coaches love him. He’ll go to the coaches, go to Powelly (Chris Powell, assistant), sit down with him, look at clips and talk about how he can improve and his commitment to his development. He’ll have some moments as well, as development is not always linear. There’s some tough moments and it helps sometimes that in those tough moments is where you actually develop even more.

"He had a few of them when I first came. He was in the team and then he wasn’t in the team, he started, then scoring when coming off the bench, and that’s a good story for the players because one moment you’re in the team and then you might not have a good game, or you might be rested and someone else does well and you find yourself out of the team. But the way to get back in the team is to do things right, train right, have the right attitude, try to get better and he definitely does that, so I’m really happy with him.”