Lawless named U21s head coach as ex-Hatter Deeney returns to take charge of Luton's U18s

​​Luton have announced former player Alex Lawless has stepped up to take charge of the club’s U21s with ex-Hatter Joe Deeney replacing him as U18s Lead Coach.

Lawless, who played 203 times for the Hatters where he was part of the team that won promotion back to the Football League under John Still in 2014, also scoring 22 goals, returned to Kenilworth Road two years ago after his first coaching role with Leyton Orient’s youth team. The 39-year-old was initially assistant to Alan McCormack with the U18s before taking charge himself last summer when the Irishman moved up to the first team.

With Adrian Forbes departing to join newly-formed American club Texoma FC before the campaign ended, Lawless has now stepped up to a new role as Senior Professional Development Coach and Loans Manager. Academy manager Paul Benson said: “Alex will be our U21 coach this season following Forbesy’s departure to Texas.

"Alex worked with the U18s last season and was really impressive. He’s getting better all the time with his coaching, he’s developing. Alex has a development mind-set for the players and he can also drive the high standards and behaviours that we like the boys to have. He knows what it takes to play for Luton Town and his knowledge and experience will be a good bridge between the players playing U18 football and the first team, so we’re delighted to have him leading our U21 group this year.”

Meanwhile, Deeney, 40, who came through the youth ranks at Luton to make two senior appearances under Joe Kinnear in 2002-03, returns to Bedfordshire as U18s Lead Coach. The former centre half has spent 24 years in total as a Hatter, as he was youth development phase lead with the U15s and 16s, before leaving in December 2016 to become assistant manager at Oxford City.

He then had spells managing Hemel Hempstead Town and Dunstable Town, where his three-year spell as manager came to an end in April. Deeney’s connections to Luton have remained throughout, with a role as coach in the club’s youth partnership at Cedars Upper School, where students train full-time and play in the Southern Counties Floodlit Youth League while taking their A level qualifications.

On bringing the ex-defender back to the club, Benson added: “Joe has a long history with the club, having played and coached previously here, and again like Alex, I can trust Joe to deliver the right standards, values and behaviours to the group. His reputation as a developer of players is second to none and his influence on the group will be so valuable to have. The boys will take so much from Joe as a coach and a person, and I couldn’t think of anyone better to replace Alex in this role.”