Town defender Burke leaves for Charlton after making some of his 'best memories' at Luton

Departing defender Reece Burke declared he made some of the ‘best memories’ of his career at Kenilworth Road following his decision to become the latest Luton player to join Championship side Charlton Athletic this morning.

The 28-year-old had joined the Hatters on a free transfer from Hull City in the summer of 2021 when now Charlton boss Nathan Jones was in charge, arriving on a free transfer from Hull City, who had shelled out £1.5m to acquire him from West Ham three years earlier. Burke helped Town reach the play-offs that term, where they were beaten by Huddersfield, as he played 32 times, scoring twice, including against Chelsea in a thrilling 3-2 defeat.

Burke did help Town make it to the Premier League the following campaign though, as he played 25 times, coming on as a first half substitute in the Wembley play-off final victory over Coventry City. Back in the top flight, the ex-England youth international featured 22 times, suffering with injury, which was unfortunately to become a theme of his time in Bedfordshire, unable to ever start more than seven league games in a row, which he did once last season once the Hatters were relegated back to the Championship, but only began three matches after the 3-0 victory over Watford in October.

He did finally reach 100 appearances for Luton in the penultimate fixture of the campaign against Coventry City, but with Town suffering a second successive relegation, then having played 101 times in total, Burke has opted for an instant return to the second tier. Writing on Instagram, Burke said: “After 4 incredible years my time at Luton town has come to an end. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone at the club - the staff members, my teammates, and the fans, for making this journey so special.

"From day one, I’ve felt part of a family, and I’ll always be proud to have worn the badge and represented this club. I have had some of the best memories of my career so far that will stay with me forever, making the Premier League being one. I’ve also faced my share of challenges, including tough periods, but those moments have only made me stronger and I want to thank the fans for sticking with me. Luton will always hold a special place in my heart and I wish the club nothing but success in the future. Once a hatter, always a hatter.”

Burke follows what is becoming a well-worn path to join up with ex-Hatters chief Jones at the Valley now, as goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski moved to the Addicks last week, with Jamaican international Amari’i Bell signing after his release from Kenilworth Road, while Luke Berry and Lloyd Jones are also there, Dan Potts featuring for the club last term, striker Danny Hylton now on the coaching staff as well.

Speaking to the Charlton website, the centre half admitted working with his former manager once more was a big pull, adding: “I’m really pleased to be here. I’ve worked with Nathan before, it felt like we had a good connection - I felt he brought the best out of me. I know what sort of team he can build and that environment is something I want to be a part of."