New Luton boss Edwards names two assistants as players return to training

Luton Town’s new boss Rob Edwards has appointed two assistant managers, and they met the players for the first time today when they returned to training after a World Cup break.

Former Bristol Rovers and Cardiff City manager Paul Trollope has joined up with his former Wales team-mate, while Richie Kyle will work closely with Edwards again after spells together in the England youth set-up and at Forest Green Rovers and Watford.

The trio met their squad this morning at The Brache training headquarters ahead of a going on a six-day warm weather training camp on Saturday, before returning to play a behind-closed-doors friendly against Championship opposition on Saturday December 3. The Championship season will then restart on December 10 with a trip to Middlesbrough.

Guess who's back. 😎#COYH pic.twitter.com/joDuFyzMWG

— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) November 24, 2022

Talking of Trollope, Edwards said: “Paul and I were in Wales squads together very early in my career, and a little bit more towards the end of his. I’ve followed his coaching career very closely and we’ve seen each other at conferences, because we’ve done bits together for the FAW with our Wales links.

“We’ve been in touch a lot over the last few months, had a few good meetings and gone to a lot of games together.

“He gives us great experience, not only in the role that he’s going to be in for us, but he’s also been a manager in his own right – a successful one too – so he’ll have real good empathy for me.

“He knows what he’s doing both as a manager, and more recently as a coach in the Championship, and at the highest level in the Premier League with Chris Hughton.

“He was also a big part of the success when Wales got to the semi-finals of the Euros in 2016 under Chris Coleman, so he’s worked with top players and I’m really excited to add him to our coaching team.

“He’s a really good person, and he’ll fit in well with so many good people around the club. It’s important that I don’t upset that balance and I believe Paul’s a great coup for us both in that respect, and with his pedigree in the game.”

Trollope, 50, made almost 500 appearances as a midfielder at Torquay United, Derby County, Coventry City, Northampton Town and Bristol Rovers, while also winning nine Welsh caps between 1997 and 2003.

In five years as manager at Bristol Rovers, Trollope won promotion from League Two and, since then he has been Chris Hughton’s assistant at Birmingham City, Norwich City, Brighton & Hove Albion – where they won promotion to the Premier League – and at Nottingham Forest until September 2021.

Trollope was also part of Chris Coleman’s Wales’ staff in the build-up to, and during their run to the semi-finals of the 2016 European Championships before being named Bluebirds boss on his return from France.

Kyle, 38, started coaching part-time in Everton and Blackburn’s academies and has recently worked with Edwards before Forest Green and Watford, after establishing a working relationship for the Football Association as in-possession and out-of-possession specialist coaches with England U16s and U20s.

Before that, Kyle was Under-18s coach and head of coaching at Blackpool before progressing to first team level, helping the Seasiders to promotion from League Two, where they beat Luton in the play-off semi-finals.

Kyle had a brief spell as Canadian women’s national team assistant manager in 2021 before returning to England to help Edwards lead Forest Green to the League Two title.

Talking of Kyle, Edwards said: “Our connection started when Richie was working at Blackpool. I still lived nearby in Lytham St Anne’s, where the youth team used to train. When I retired, he was kind enough to let me come in and watch him coach, then join in and take some sessions. We stayed in touch, and then the next time we worked together was at the FA.

“During that time he’d worked his way up to the first team at Blackpool, was involved in a promotion from League Two, as he’s done again since with us at Forest Green, and was doing great work leading the out-of-possession programme in specialist coaching for the FA.

“He went to become Canada national women’s team assistant for a short time, although it was only so short because I gave him the call to bring him back to Forest Green.

“Richie is a brilliant coach and person, and he’s vital for me to be able to operate because he knows how I work. The lads and the staff will love him. He’s got a really infectious character, he’s always positive, always lively. He’s a good one.”