Sweet wants new Hatters manager to lead Luton to the Premier League

Luton chief executive Gary Sweet wants Nathan Jones’ replacement to be the man who leads Town to the promised land of the Premier League.

The Hatters will look to appoint their latest manager this week after the Welshman left for a crack at the top flight himself on Thursday, moving to the relegation threatened Southampton.

Jones had come close to delivering a place at the top table of English football during his second stint at Kenilworth Road as after saving the club from relegation and then stabilising the following season, masterminded a sixth place finish last season, Luton beaten in the play-offs by Huddersfield Town.

Following a transfer window in which the former boss bulked up the squad, particularly in attacking areas, hopes were high for another push this term, with Luton sitting ninth place and just two points off the top six ahead of this afternoon’s clash with Rotherham.

It makes Town a hugely inviting prospect for the new manager, with the opportunity to reach the play-offs once more a definite possibility.

Speaking on the upcoming appointment, Sweet said: “They're all vital.

"When you replace a manager, and we've done it a few times, they're all vital and important.

"But, more than vital, vital sounds like a bit of a scary word, I think it's a massive opportunity.

"I think it's exciting, I genuinely tell you, and with no disrespect to Nathan, Chris (Cohen) and Alan (Sheehan), it is so exciting.

"I think a lot of people here are quite energised by the fact that we've got an opportunity here where we can introduce a good football guy to come in and lead us to the Premier League.

"That is a realistic opportunity. “

On what kind of person Sweet will be looking for to carry on the work done by Jones, he continued: “The biggest characteristic the new man is going to have is he’s going to have the right personality for this football club.

"That he fully buys into and follows a similar kind of believes, principles, philosophies, ethics, I guess to the one this football club carries.

"What we stand for as a club weren’t Nathan Jones’ principles, they were our principles and Nathan Jones folded into.

"Many of them were similar to his own so I think what is right is that we get a good human being, a good guy, who is going to come in and feels at home here.

"That is really important for him and us.”

Town chief recruitment office Mick Harford, who will lead the side against Rotherham this afternoon, will have a big role in deciding just who is the next to take the dug-out and then make their transition to life in Bedfordshire as easy as possible.

He added: “I’ll play a part in terms of integrating them and getting them to know about the club and the players.

“I think it’s massive that he comes in a gets a good grounding about the players, the environment, the structure of the club, what the club means to ourselves and the community.

“I’m sure we’ll get the right guy.

"Some of the candidates we’re looking at are very good, young managers who we believe will have a great career at this football club.

“As we move forward, our aim and ambition is for the next manager to take us into the new stadium.”