New signing isn't that far behind for the Hatters

New Luton striker Aaron Jarvis isn't too far behind making an impact on the first team squad according to boss Nathan Jones.
Aaron Jarvis puts pen to paper on his Luton contractAaron Jarvis puts pen to paper on his Luton contract
Aaron Jarvis puts pen to paper on his Luton contract

The 19-year-old was a surprise addition on transfer deadline day, signing from Southern League Premier Division side Basingstoke on a one year deal.

He has now almost completed two weeks training with the Hatter and on how he has got on since arriving, Jones said: “It was all a whirlwind for him on the first day.

“He came in and he was a little bit new and looked like he had just landed.

“But he’s really adapted well and settled down nicely.

“We’ve been pleasantly surprised really as he’s not as far behind as you would think, coming from the level, no disrespect to anyone, but the level is considerably different.

“I wouldn’t say we’re quite excited yet, but we’re really, really positive and looking forward to what he can achieve and what he can step into.

“Every day with the training he gets, the sharpness and the work he is given, physically he’ll get stronger, he’ll settle in, mentally he’ll become better and I’m really, really positive about him, he’s a good signing.”

When asked just how he had learned of Jarvis’s talents, the forward scoring 17 times in total last term, Jones continued: “He’s come on our radar a little while ago.

“With the goals he scored and he’s a young lad at that level scoring goals, especially being 6ft 2, the physicality he has.

“He’s very brave, technically needs a little bit of work, so we’d had him watched and we wanted him to come into our environment.

“But to be fair to him, the boy’s brave and said ‘no, I think I’m good enough,’ so we made a decision.

“There was an opportunity there, do we wait and monitor him for the next three, four, five months and then maybe get it in a battle with other clubs if he does well enough and attracts our attention?

“So we just had a gamble, but it’s a real calculated gamble and one we think is a good one as we’ve seen him in our environment and he’s not that far off.

“He did very, very well in a friendly with Northampton against some real good opposition, so we’re pleased.”

Once Jarvis has become fully acclimatised to life as a professional footballer, then there is still a chance he could go out on loan to get some first team football.

However, Jones isn’t going to push through a move unless certain it will be of a real benefit as he didn’t with former Town striker Isaac Vassell last year.

He added: “We’ll have a good look at him for six to eight weeks in terms of really working with him and trying to mould him a little bit, trying to polish a few of the edges off and then we’ll see where we are with him.

“We had it with Isaac and we made a wonderful decision with Isaac not to loan him out.

“We had a lot of clubs wanted to take Isaac all throughout the months leading up to the transfer window and then in the transfer window we had even more.

“But we’d already made our minds up to keep him, and what a fantastic decision that was.

“It’s the same with Aaron, we don’t just want to buy him now and then loan him straight out, we want to work with him.

“We think that what he’s been used to at Basingstoke with the training and with the level he plays at, if we can give him six to eight weeks of real work here, that would be massively beneficial and then we can see where we are with him.”