Luton youngster wants to impress both Hatters and Diamonds after joining Airdrie

Luton teenager Tate Xavier-Jones is looking to use his loan spell with Scottish Championship side Airdrieonians as a bid to impress both his parent club and the Diamonds.

The 18-year-old frontman, who is also capable of playing as a winger, joined the club as a five-year-old, but really caught the eye last term due to his goalscoring exploits with the U18s, netting over 30 goals. Having scored once for the U21s in the Premier League Cup and also once in the FA Youth Cup as well, Xavier-Jones spent time on loan with Kettering and was then awarded a professional deal at Kenilworth Road during the summer.

With the Diamonds taking him on loan until January, the attacker told his new club’s official website about his switch north of the border: “It’s been brilliant, I’ve settled in well and had a good session the other day. I’ve enjoyed it. I want to impress people at Luton, impress people at Airdrie, impress the new gaffer – I think it’s a big opportunity for me and it can be a real big stepping stone, so I want to take it in full stride.”

Airdrie boss Danny Lennon, who has also managed St Mirren and Clyde, returning to the Excelsior Stadium for his second spell in charge just this week, said about the addition of Xavier-Jones: “We’re absolutely delighted to have Tate on board. He’s a guy with blistering pace, someone who’s very direct. You look at his track record last season down at Luton, scoring a huge amount of goals at Under 21 level, and it’s something that has to be challenged at a good level. He’s certainly come to the right place to do that.”

The Diamonds sit eighth in the table with two draws and one defeat from their first three games as they head to Arbroath this weekend, meaning Xavier-Jones’ first run-out in front of his own fans will be on Saturday, September 20 when Raith Rovers are the visitors.