Luton Town have signed Harrison Ashby on loan from Newcastle United with manager Jack Wilshere saying the defender has the quality, character and experience to make an immediate impact with the Hatters.
The 24-year-old right-back has joined on a season-long loan, becoming Luton’s third signing of the summer following spells with West Ham United, Newcastle United, Swansea City, QPR and Bradford City.
Wilshere knows Ashby well, having shared a dressing room with him at West Ham when the defender first broke into senior football.
“I was playing alongside Harrison for West Ham when he made his debut, and you could tell that he had something,” Wilshere told the club’s website.
“Technically he was always clean, and he was very young then, but physically he was good.
“I kept an eye on him going to Newcastle because Eddie Howe is someone I worked with and a coach that I respect, so I always thought that he’d be good for him.
“It probably hasn’t quite worked out for him how he wanted it to, but Eddie has definitely done a good job of developing him as a player, but also as a person. He’s grown up so much. He’s someone I see who can fit straight into this group and help us on the pitch.”
Ashby has spent the past three seasons gaining experience away from Newcastle, with loan spells in the Championship at Swansea City and QPR before helping Bradford City reach the League One play-offs during the second half of last season under former Hatters full-back Graham Alexander.
Wilshere believes those experiences have prepared him for the challenge at Kenilworth Road.
“Going out on his loans in the Championship and League One has probably helped him grow up a lot as well,” he said.
“Harrison is a good footballer, and always has been, but he had to go out and learn the other side of it.
“He was at Bradford last year, so he understands the league and he says he loved his loan there. That tells me he’s someone that buys into a coach, a way of playing and a way of working with a good attitude, that we need right now.”
Ashby becomes Luton’s latest addition as Wilshere continues shaping his squad ahead of the new League One campaign.
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