Luton Outlaws - Independent Message Board for Luton Town FC

Grimsby fan in peace. According to one or two well-connected and consistently reliable types, it sounds as if John McAtee to you lot is a done deal, though apparently the fee is closer to £250k and he will be loaned back to us until the end of this season.

If that transpires to be the case, I think that’s a pretty good deal for all parties. McAtee, who we signed from Scunny last summer with relatively little fanfare has been an absolute revelation for us, and there’s no doubt we wouldn’t have been promoted without him.

Hard to describe him as a player. He’s a forward rather than an out and out striker, but he’s played in a free role for us in a system which was quite rightly built around him. His gait and playing style are quite unique; he’s so incredibly hard working and tenacious for a front man, but couples that with great technical ability, vision and clinical finishing. Granted, it’s a whole different ball game doing that in the Championship, but the raw materials are all there and his brother James is tipped to be the next Phil Foden at City, so there’s no doubting his pedigree.

If 16 goals in the National League last season sounds a bit underwhelming, don’t be fooled by statistics. He missed a good chunk of the season through injury (at which point our form dropped off a cliff) and there’s so much more to his game than goals.

He’s been an absolute joy to watch in a Town shirt and hopefully will be for the remainder of this season. It will be a sad day when he leaves the club for good but the idea that we’ll have this season to come to terms with that makes the news a little easier to swallow.

Look after him and best of luck this season; I look at Luton as a template for an unfashionable club mismanaged out of the football league and now prospering under proper ownership.

All the best.