Town manager looking to add one more to his backroom staff at Kenilworth Road

Luton boss Nathan Jones is still looking to add one more to his backroom staff at Kenilworth Road.

Since the Welshman was reappointed in May, he has brought in just Paul Hart as first-team coach, the vastly experienced former Nottingham Forest and Portsmouth manager, returning to the club where he had been number two during Jones' first spell in charge.

Town legend Mick Harford moved up to assistant boss, combining his role as head of recruitment, while head of coaching and player development Adrian Forbes is now more involved with the first team on a match-day too.

Jones had stated his desire to to bring in another member of staff, and when asked if that was still planned, he said: “It’s about getting the right one.

“At the minute, what I’ve been really reluctant to do is make any big, knee-jerk changes or anything.

“The environment here is very good and people within it do really well, so when I came in I didn’t want to change too much.

“I wanted to bring Paul in because he’s a trusted companion of mine.

“He’s someone I trust and someone who’s very good for me.

“I know that he works great alongside me, Kev (Dearden, head of goalkeeping) and the people here and we’ve managed to continue that.

“Someone like Adrian Forbes has stepped up and done very well in what we’ve asked him to do, so it’s been an opportunity.

“Rather than knee-jerk and bring a load in, what we’ve done is just kept it kind of settled, tweaked certain things and probably gone back to where we were, that’s the positive thing.

“Ideally, I’d like to bring in another one, but I’ve been able to take my time on that.

"While I’m taking my time, the environment is still the same and flourishing, we’re still improving and getting results, so, there’s been no knee-jerk.

“In time, I’m sure the staff will evolve again, but in terms of making big changes now, there’s no need to do that."

Hart had left the club in September 2018 to become technical director at Notts County, a move that saw the 67-year-old able to be closer to his home.

On leaving the Magpies, he went to Stoke to link up with Jones in January 2019 as assistant, leaving in November.

He had originally penned a short-term deal for the final nine games when coming back to Luton in June, but Jones confirmed Hart was here to stay.

The Hatters boss continued: “Paul left here for personal reasons, not for anything with the club.

"He had a lot going on with his family at the time, with his parents and we totally understood that, he went with our blessing.

“Those issues aren’t there anymore, so it meant that he could commit fully again and that’s why I took him to my previous club and also brought him back here.

“He’s very key to what we do, he’s great for the environment.

“You ask the players, he doesn’t take sessions and sessions and sessions, but when he does, they impact.

“Then he speaks to people, how he speaks to people is very good and he’s got a wealth of experience and I’ve got a real good staff alongside him.

“Mick Harford has vast experience and knows the club, so we’ve got a real good blend.

"I’m a very hands-on manager as well, so I think we’ve got a real good blend at the minute and I’m very happy with that."

On how it has been working with Harford again, Jones added: “Mick was head of recruitment before but apart from a few more sessions and seeing him on a matchday, not masses amounts have changed with Mick because he was always here anyway.

“He was in all day every day with me and he was a trusted ally of mine.

"I think taking over the manager side actually whetted his appetite for the day-to-day, on the grass stuff, and I’m very grateful for that because it’s a good team we have here.

“With Kev as well, the sport science and James (Redden) it’s a good team here already in place.

"A lot we brought in, a lot we developed, a lot we have enhanced and I’m very pleased with that.”