Luton Town have completed the loan signing of Tottenham midfielder Jamie Donley, with his close friendship with goalkeeper Josh Keeley playing a key role in convincing him to make the move to Kenilworth Road.
Donley becomes manager Jack Wilshere’s sixth signing of the summer transfer window after the Hatters maintained an interest in the 21-year-old since January.
The midfielder spent last season on loan in the Championship with Stoke City and Oxford United after making a name for himself during a loan spell at Leyton Orient.
Donley scored eight goals in 52 appearances for the O’s and was named their player of the year as they reached the League One play-off final.
He also produced one of the more memorable moments of his spell at Brisbane Road when his spectacular 45-yard effort against Manchester City in the FA Cup bounced down off the crossbar and went in off goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
For Luton, though, it was Donley’s relationship with Keeley that helped Wilshere get his man.
“You want players to know everything, have clarity on how we’re going to play and enjoy the way we want them to play,” said Wilshere.
“But ultimately, it’s about how you make the players feel.
“I was speaking to Jamie and trying to convince him. It’s one thing coming from a manager. But then to speak to a good friend, someone who he was with at Spurs and Leyton Orient, who he trusts and who obviously only said good things about the environment and how we work, I think it’s credit to everyone at the club for creating that.
“It shows we’re moving in the right direction.”
Donley revealed that Keeley had been actively encouraging him to join the Hatters, with the pair having remained close since their time together at Tottenham and Orient.
“Josh has been on to me. I played golf with him a few weeks ago, and he said about coming here,” said Donley.
“He’s not just a football mate, he’s one of my best mates away from football too. We were at Orient together, where we got to the play-off final.
“Hopefully we can push on this season and go one step further.”
Wilshere said Donley had been one of the club’s priority targets for some time, with the opportunity to bring him to Luton only becoming possible late in the window.
“Jamie’s a quality player and someone who we have kept our eye on since January. He went to the Championship with Oxford, but we’ve maintained a relationship with him,” he said.
“One thing we’ve done really well in this window is that we’ve had targets we wanted to go after. We knew the positions we wanted to improve or add depth in, and Jamie’s definitely been top of that list for a long time, so to get it done feels like a really important signing.
“He’s a player that can make the difference in the final third, and he also gives us something different in the centre of midfield, being left-footed.”
Donley said he was “over the moon” after completing his medical at The Brache and explained that Wilshere’s pitch had also been influential.
“I’m over the moon. It’s taken a while, but I’m delighted to get it done and excited to see what I can do this season,” he said.
“When the manager called me, he spoke very highly of me, about what he wants to do this season and the way they play football. The way he spoke of me and how he sees me as a player really excited me.
“That’s all you want to hear as a player, and hopefully I can take on that advice and show him that what he believes in me, I can do.”
Wilshere added that Donley’s arrival had always been part of the club’s plans, but they had to wait for the right opportunity to arise.
“I kept saying that we weren’t done with our business, but we had to wait for the right opportunity. Players sometimes come up a little bit later in the window, especially those like Jamie, who was really close to the first team at Tottenham all pre-season, and then gets told late on that he can go out,” he said.
“It was always in the plans to strengthen in that area and we’re delighted to get this one over the line.”
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