Luton Town have confirmed the departure of player recruitment manager Yousuf Sajjad as part of a wider staff reshuffle that also sees long-serving goalkeeping coach Kevin Dearden leave Kenilworth Road after more than a decade at the club.
Sajjad’s exit comes less than two years after he joined the Hatters in September 2024, with the club saying only that he has left “to pursue other opportunities”.
The brief mention of his departure in the club’s announcement is likely to attract attention from fans given the scrutiny that has surrounded Luton’s recruitment operation following successive relegations from the Premier League to League One.
Earlier this summer, the Hatters appointed William Lancefield to strengthen their recruitment structure, a move that prompted supporters to question what the future held for Sajjad. His departure also follows the exits of head of recruitment analysis Jay Socik and senior scout Alexander Wilkinson in May.
A report last week from Football League World said that Sajjad’s time was up at Luton following an internal review of the club’s recruitment set-up, although the club did not comment on those claims.
The Hatters have made an encouraging start to this summer transfer window under manager Jack Wilshere, with supporters largely welcoming the arrivals of George Johnston, Kasey Palmer and Harrison Ashby. Sajjad himself had been active on social media yesterday, promoting Ashby’s arrival.
While further details around Sajjad’s departure were not revealed, the club’s statement instead focused primarily on paying tribute to Dearden, one of the longest-serving members of staff at Kenilworth Road.
A proud Lutonian, Dearden joined his hometown club in December 2014 under John Still during the Hatters’ first season back in the Football League.
The former Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford and Torquay United goalkeeper initially arrived as goalkeeping coach before becoming head of goalkeeping in 2019. Following Luton’s promotion to the Premier League, he took on the role of team operations manager in the summer of 2023.
During his time at the club, Dearden was part of the backroom staff that oversaw one of the most successful periods in Luton’s history, helping the Hatters climb from League Two to the Premier League and lifting the EFL Trophy at Wembley last season.
In the club’s statement, Luton said Dearden would “always receive a warm welcome back at Kenilworth Road” and thanked him for the “significant contribution” he had made over the past decade.
Also leaving the club are kit and equipment manager Clive Thompson, head of physical performance Michael Amoah and first-team analysis assistant Chloe Golding.
The Hatters thanked all five departing members of staff for their “commitment, professionalism and contribution” and wished them success in the next stage of their careers.
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