The rumours are true and Luton hitman James Collins will join Championship rivals Cardiff City on a free after turning down a new deal, with the striker saying his four years as a Hatter have been the best in his career.
The 30-year-old joined in 2017, scoring a hat-trick on his debut and leaves with a tally of 72 in 183 games. His goals helped fire Town to consecutive promotions to the Championship, where his strikes then helped the club pull off the Great Escape last term before securing a top half of the table finish in the campaign that has just ended.
Out of contract at the end of next month, Collins had lost his place as a regular starter towards the end of the season, with January signing Elijah Adebayo making a big impact.
Despite this, his penultimate Luton goal came in memorable fashion when he came off the bench against arch rivals Watford to score from the penalty spot with his very first touch.
But reports this week had been rife of the Republic of Ireland international’s departure and the news of a two-year deal with the Bluebirds has now been confirmed.
Leaving with a parting message on the Luton’s website, Collins said: ‘I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for these last 4 years, from signing for this great club in League 2 to now finishing in the top half of the championship, it has been an incredible journey and I have loved every minute of it.
‘I would like to thank the gaffer and all his staff I have worked with during this time, and also the board for everything they have done for me. It has been a pleasure representing this club from start to finish.
‘To all the fans, I can’t thank you enough for accepting me from day one and backing me all the way, I will never forget that.
‘I hope that I have repaid you with my performances and goals over the years, and I always tried to give 100%.
‘The promotion celebrations were unbelievable and I will never forget the journey home from Carlisle, but also the roar from you all in the warm-up at Sunderland, Pompey in the snow and of course the penalty against Watford, which meant so much to me because I know how important it was for you all. I just wish you all could have been there.
‘I’m proud to have been a part of so many great moments in the club’s recent history and it has been a tough decision over the last few weeks, but I feel I am ready for a new challenge.
‘Luton Town will always have a place in my heart though because it’s been the best time of my career here, and I wish the club all the success in the future.’
3 Trackbacks / Pingbacks
Comments are closed.