Even though they won the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, Luton Town had a difficult 2008–09 campaign.
The club’s Under-11 team also won a European trophy, defeating teams like Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
Due to a variety of circumstances, many former Luton players are currently playing in lower leagues or have not achieved their full potential.
Luton Town’s 2008–09 campaign was a wild ride filled with heartbreaking lows and brief highs that left the team and its supporters damaged. The Hatters had a difficult time avoiding relegation to non-league football after suffering a crushing 30-point deduction. Every game felt like a last-ditch effort to keep afloat because the odds were set against them from the start.
Heartbreak marked the end of Luton’s struggle, despite the best efforts of the players, coaching staff, and the club’s loyal supporters. With just 26 points, they finished at the bottom of League Two, a terrible fate that was exacerbated by the points penalty. They would have finished in the middle of the table if they had begun from scratch, but they were relegated instead. But even during this challenging season, Luton had magical moments. They once shocked Scunthorpe United at Wembley to win the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, which was a rare moment of happiness during an otherwise dreary campaign.
Luton’s Under-11 team also made history when they stunned the football world by upsetting Bayern Munich to win the Aarau Masters title in Switzerland, a five-a-side competition that was televised and witnessed by 3,000 spectators. Their victory was a huge surprise considering the presence of such formidable teams as Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund. However, what became of the young athletes who represented the club with such pride?
James Justin
Leicester City
James Justin is the player who, more than any other, reached their full potential. The currently Leicester City player was once a strong contender for the title of England’s top right-back during a period when Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, and Kyle Walker were all fighting for a spot in the Euro 2020 squad. He is now as reliable as they come in the Premier League.
Prior to joining Leicester City in 2019, Justin played 114 games and was named to the League One Team of the Season during the championship-winning 2018–19 season. He was also a two-time recipient of Luton Town’s Young Player of the Season award. As of this writing, he has made 158 appearances there, winning the FA Cup and the Championship. Additionally, he has made one appearance for the England National Team.
United’s Frankie Musonda
Frankie Musonda, a Bedford native, was determined to keep up his good work for his team. But the truth has been harsh: the defender has spent all but 14 of his senior outings with the Hatters on loan, showing no signs of ever making a significant impact on the first team.
He briefly lived at Braintree Town, Oxford City, Hemel Hempstead Town, and St Albans City before relocating permanently to Raith Rovers in 2020. He joined Championship team Ayr United two years later, where he currently plays with Victor Wanyama. It’s interesting to note that, because of his father’s ancestry, he has made 17 appearances for the Zambia national team, including in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Jamal Lewis
Newcastle United
Jamal Lewis joined Norwich City’s team just five years after earning European success with Luton Town’s youth team. He would play 100 games for Norwich City, which helped them be promoted to the Premier League in 2019. He was signed by Newcastle United in 2020 after proving to be a gifted young left-back.
However, there haven’t been many first-team minutes in the northeast. He is currently 27 years old and has made just 36 appearances for the Magpies. In addition to playing regularly for Northern Ireland since his debut in 2018, he has also had spells on loan at Watford and Sao Paulo.
Dasilva Jay of Coventry City
Jay Dasilva, along with his brothers Cole and Rio, signed for Chelsea three years after winning the Aarau Masters. He won the FA development League twice, the FA Youth Cup three times, and was a member of the England Under-19 squad that took home the 2017 Under-19 European Championship during his tenure at the prestigious Cobham development system.
Despite these successes, he was never allowed to play for Chelsea in the first squad. Rather, before relocating permanently to Bristol City in 2019, he had loan stints at Charlton Athletic, where he was named the team’s Player of the Season. He currently works for Coventry City under Frank Lampard, where he aspires to assist the team in being promoted to the Premier League.
Cole Dasilva, like his older brother Jay, scored for Chelsea in an FA Youth Cup final. However, his post-youth career never really got off. Although he trained at three English Football League youth academies—Brentford, Chelsea, and Luton—he never played for any of them in the first team.
Rather, he made only six games for Oxford City, Hemel Hempstead Town, and Croatian team HNK Sibenik before spending more time at Royston Town, Biggleswade Town, and Bedford Town. He’s in the seventh division at Bishop’s Stortford right now. Dasilva made three appearances for the Wales Under-21 squad on the international scene.
Spartans’ Michael Cain Blyth
No, that Michael Cain joined Leicester City in 2013 for what was then a “six figure sum.” The midfielder has now fallen down the leagues after failing to meet expectations at King Power Stadium. He was loaned to a number of teams in 2014, including Barnet and Bristol Rovers, in order to obtain more first-team experience. Cain showed promise, but Leicester released him in 2016.
Following his departure from the Foxes, he played for clubs in lesser divisions, including Worcester City, before joining other non-league teams. After leaving Leicester, he has mostly played at a more regional level and has not achieved the success that was anticipated when he first joined the team. He is currently with Blyth Spartans, where he has been since 2023.
Dawkins, Tarum
