Town chief tips impressive Hatters teenager to have a good future at Kenilworth Road

Town’s talented youngster Zack Nelson has been tipped to have a good future in the game by first team boss Nathan Jones.

The teenager is already proving a hit with his age group this term, on target a number of times in the EFL Youth Alliance, including one effort being crowned winner of League Football Education’s goal of the month award for August when he fired home a brilliant first-time 25-yard strike against AFC Wimbledon.

Named on the bench for Town’s Carabao Cup first round defeat against Newport County earlier in the season, Nelson has been training with Luton’s first team squad recently, impressing Jones and the rest of Luton’s coaching staff.

The second year scholar also came off the bench for the Development squad during Tuesday night’s 3-2 win over QPR U21s, replacing Luke Berry at half time as he helped tee up Avan Jones to make it 2-1 to Luton.

It was his late trickery that saw the Hatters win it too, picking up possession inside the box and managing to unleash a left-footed shot that hit the post, Tobias Braney hammering home the loose ball.

Jones who was a spectator at Kenilworth Road that evening, said: “If I’m honest when I watch the academy now, the Development Squad, Under 18s and Under 16s, there is a real alignment with what we do.

"They’re aggressive, they go after teams and that is what I like.

"It is not individuals catching the eye, there is a few individuals we really like and are doing really well, but it is more the collective academy now.

"I know they are closer to us now, we had Zack Nelson training with us and he fits in.

"He’s a young kid with god willing a good future, only if he knuckles down, works hard and buys into everything we do, but I like watching our academy play.

"That is not being disrespectful to anyone previously, but right now I like watching our academy play.

"Whether it’s because Paul Hart is a mentor of mine and I evolved under him, but I see it happening now.”