LUTON TOWN RE-SIGN LEGEND KEVIN NICHOLLS!

The massively popular tough-tackling midfielder Kevin Nicholls has rejoined Luton Town from Preston North End on a three-year deal.

The hugely influential midfielder has become the first new signing for Hatters manager Mick Harford and the new LTFC2020 consortium as he penned his three-year deal on the Kenilworth Road pitch during the half-time interval of the Hatters' pre-season clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.

Speculation has been rife all summer over Nicholls returning to Kenilworth Road, after he played in May’s anniversary match for a Luton Legends side to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Hatters’ Littlewoods Cup win over Arsenal in 1988.

In addition, it has been reported by those in attendance of the day’s Loyal Luton Supporters Club meeting that a further 6 players will be signing, making a total of 7 new arrivals, with 5 reported to be announced on Monday. Nicholls is also reported to have been installed as the Hatters’ club captain for next season, when Luton will start on an unprecedented –30 points in League Two.

His arrival represents somewhat of a coup for Luton Town and the new owners to say the least and his status as a cult hero amongst Hatters fans will make his arrival all the more popular.

His tough tackling and spirit and never-say-die attitude are undoubtedly what Luton Town will need as they embark on what is going to be a mammoth struggle to avoid relegation from the Football League for the first time in their 123-year history.

Nicholls originally joined Luton Town from Wigan Athletic for a fee that could rise to £150,000 depending upon appearances. The 22 year-old former Charlton Athletic midfielder signed a three-year deal at Kenilworth Road, with the initial fee for Nicholls just £25,000 and he became manager Joe Kinnear's fifth signing of the 2001-02 pre-season.

Nicholls began as a trainee at Charlton Athletic and he made his debut in the 1996-97 season as a substitute against Ipswich Town and his full debut against Burnley in the League Cup just three days later. He made only spasmodic appearances during the season, but he scored a spectacular long-range goal in the opening minute of his first full League game against Barnsley at The Valley.

He began the 1997-98 season as a substitute in the first three games, before starting the next two, but he then featured only twice more on the bench before missing the rest of the season with a knee injury.

He failed to make an appearance for Charlton during the 1998-99 season and moved to Brighton & Hove Albion on loan, scoring on his debut in a 1-2 defeat to Leyton Orient. After four games with the Seagulls, he returned to Charlton, but, after a total of 16 appearances in all competitions for The Valiants, he joined Wigan Athletic in June 1999 for a fee of £250,000 as a replacement for the departed Paul Rogers. The fee rose up to £600,000 after a certain number of first-team appearances.

The 1999-00 season saw Nicholls begin to establish himself as a regular first-team player, although injuries restricted him to 8 appearances with the Latics, making his debut in a 2-0 win over Cardiff City in October 1999.

He made 26 appearances in the 2000-01 season for Wigan, a side who were successful and reached the Second Division (now known as League One) play-offs. After a 0-0 draw in the semi-final first leg with Reading, he gave Wigan the lead at The Madejski Stadium, only for Reading to score two late goals and reach the play-off final.

Nicholls is a Roy Keane type of player who likes to get stuck in and make important tackles in the middle of the park. He had his share of injury problems while with Wigan Athletic, but former manager Steve Bruce gave him a chance in the first-team, where Nicholls produced some outstanding performances.

A fierce and competitive midfielder, Hatters manager Joe Kinnear was hoping that Nicholls could add some steel to the side and fill the void left by Paul McLaren's departure to Sheffield Wednesday.

Nicholls immediately forced his way into Luton's side, playing as a central midfielder, and he was a pivotal member of what eventually became a promotion-winning team.

Nicholls made his Luton debut on the opening day of the season in a 2-0 win at Carlisle United, and he quickly became a firm fans' favourite with his crunching tackles, never-say-die attitude and general nastiness towards the opposition! Receiving a yellow card in the win at Brunton Park, it was pretty evident to all Luton supporters that he would have certain disciplinary problems during the season - and this was further demonstrated when he was sent-off for two bookable offences in the next match, his home debut, in a 2-1 win over Cheltenham. A virtual ever-present during the season as depicted by suspensions and injury, Nicholls scored his first goal for Luton in a 1-1 home draw with Oxford United on August 9th 2001, and he went on to score a further 5 times during the campaign - 4 of the goals from the penalty spot as he became the Hatters' penalty-taker.

As important to Luton as Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira, and Steven Gerrard were to their sides, and very much in the same mould, Nicholls was arguably the bargain of the season for the Hatters. A consistent performer who wears his heart on his sleeve, he also became the team captain, his aggression, influence and determination an example to all of the other Luton players. Surprisingly, for a tough-tackler and ball-winner, Nicholls wasn't sent-off again during the rest of the campaign, the dismissal against Cheltenham the only marching orders he received throughout the season. He was, however, shown a yellow card on no less than 16 occasions!

Certainly not only a ball-winner, and very much able to play the passing game and score the odd goal or two, Nicholls was instrumental in the season, which saw Luton earn their first promotion for 20 years and finish 2nd in Division Three (League Two) with 97 points. He made a total of 43 appearances, 42 of them coming in the League, and also scored from the spot as Luton beat Plymouth Argyle 2-0 at Kenilworth Road on February 2nd 2002 in a promotion six-pointer.

Nicholls was rewarded for his magnificent campaign by winning the Junior Supporters' Player of the Year award and he was also handed a one-year extension to his contract. Upon signing his contract extension, Nicholls was described by the then Luton manager Joe Kinnear as "The life and soul of the football club".

He once again had a solid 2002-03 season as his tough-tackling and ability to ‘get stuck in’ continued to earn him a reputation as a fans’ favourite – as well as earning him somewhat of a reputation with the referees!

Undoubtedly the hard man of the Second Division and arguably a poor man’s Roy Keane or Patrick Vieira, Nicholls always rallied his troops when he needed to and his 10 yellow cards and one red card typified the no-nonsense player that he is! However, rest assured that he can play football too and his all-round game continued to develop throughout the course of the season.

Always one of the first names on manager Joe Kinnear’s team sheet when available for selection, he captained the Hatters to a 2-1 victory at Vicarage Road against local rivals Watford in the League Cup First Round in September 2002 – his first local derby as a Luton Town player!

His single dismissal of the campaign came in a 0-0 home draw with Queen’s Park Rangers in late November when the Hatters also had Steve Howard sent off but still managed to battle to earn a point.
He made a total of 39 appearances during the course of the season (36 of those appearances coming in the League) and he continued to be the club’s penalty taker, netting three of his five goals during the season from 12-yards and not missing a single one of his spot-kicks. However, he also showed that he had the ability to emulate fellow midfielder Matthew Spring’s long-range shooting when he netted from 20-yards in a 2-3 home loss to Mansfield Town and then with a scintillating free-kick straight into the top corner from fully 25-yards in a 3-2 home win over Northampton Town. Also given the responsibility of corner kick taker by Kinnear, Nicholls was not only the captain of the side, but also became the set-piece specialist.

He had another good season during the 2003-04 campaign as he helped the club to a 10th placed finish, a good outcome considering the club had spent the entire season in administrative receivership.
Nicholls not only helped on the pitch, but also off it, as he rallied the players, who had spent the whole season under a cloud of uncertainty, occasionally not even receiving their wages and also not sure whether the club would be in a position to offer them new contracts at the end of the season.

He remained club captain under new boss Mike Newell, although on the field he was disappointed to begin the season on the right-hand side of midfield as opposed to his preferred role of a ball-winning central midfielder.

Appearing in that position for the first five matches of the campaign, he netted the first of his two goals during the season from the penalty spot in a 1-2 home loss to eventually relegated Grimsby Town, but, unfortunately in the next match, a 0-2 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion, he suffered an injury and it forced him to miss the next five months of action.

He returned in a 0-1 home loss to Tranmere Rovers in an FA Cup Fourth Round tie, showing his dedication to the cause by playing when not even fully fit. Two matches later, he was back on the score sheet as he netted a penalty in an excellent 2-0 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion – a club he had formerly played for during a loan spell, and who he had ironically been injured against earlier in the campaign.

He was thereafter a regular in the side for the remainder of the season, and following an injury to regular central midfielders Matthew Spring and Paul Hughes, Nicholls ended the season in his preferred central midfield role and looked a better player and more relaxed.

He was also sent off once in the season – for elbowing Nathan Lowndes in a 1-1 home draw with eventual champions Plymouth Argyle.
Appearing in 23 matches in all competitions during the season, Nicholls had made over 100 appearances for the club in all competitions by the end of the 2003-04 season and the 'Roy Keane of Luton Town' was hoping that he could continue to help the club progress during the forthcoming season - and he certainly did that!
He had a superb season with Luton Town during the 2004-05 campaign – arguably his best season with the Hatters.

Once again the skipper of the side, he led by example throughout the season, his never-say-die attitude and determination shining through and he weighed in with several important goals as the Hatters ran away with the League One Championship.

Appearing in 44 of Luton’s 46 League matches during the season, he endured his best-ever campaign on the goal front, bagging a very impressive 12 League goals and 14 goals in all competitions from central midfield. Coupled with the 15 League goals from fellow midfielder Ahmet Brkovic, the midfield pair weighed in with 27 League goals between them – this a huge factor in the Hatters success.

Although most of Nicholls’ goals were from the penalty spot, he also scored some fine long-range efforts, notably at Wycombe Wanderers in the FA Cup, and a fantastic 30-yard strike at Doncaster Rovers as the season drew to a close.

In fact, his form was so good, that he attracted bids from several unnamed clubs who admired the Hatters for having such a combative and talented midfielder at their disposal.

The improvement that Nicholls had made during the season was immense and along with the emergence of Ahmet Brkovic, Sol Davis and Curtis Davies, the Hatters had players who had improved in leaps and bounds all over the pitch.

Not only did Nicholls’ technical ability seem to be much better, but his discipline was also greatly improved as he received just seven yellow cards and one red card during the season – that a good return for Nicholls!

Lifting the League One Championship at the end of the season, Nicholls had endured a memorable season and he was rewarded for his magnificent campaign by winning the Player of the Year and Supporters’ Player of the Year awards. He was also one of six Luton Town players named in the PFA League One Team of the Season, as voted for by his fellow professionals.

Nicholl had another superb season with Luton Town during the 2005-06 campaign as he captained the Hatters to a 10th placed finish – an excellent achievement for their first season back at Championship level.

One of only a small number of the squad to have played at this level before, he was once again an inspirational figure in the side and he weighed in with 6 important goals in all competitions, mainly from the penalty spot.

The tough-tackling captain continued to show the classier side he had added to his game the previous season, and this marked improvement in his all-round play has transformed him from a lower League player to someone who may not look out of place in the Premiership.

After captaining the Hatters to a 2-1 opening day victory at Crystal Palace, Nicholls scored the first Luton Town goal at Kenilworth Road during the season – a blistering 41st minute strike in a 3-2 win against Southampton that flew past Finnish international Antti Niemi in the Saints goal.

Equally important goals followed in August and September as Leicester City were beaten 2-0 on their own turf, and his lovely strike from the edge of the area earned a point at home to Wolves.
Although looking a classier player than he had when initially joining the Hatters, he still maintained that tenacity in his game, earning six yellow cards and also being sent off in a 0-2 loss in November 2005 at Norwich City.

Perhaps epitomising his talents the most was a January FA Cup clash with Premiership giants Liverpool in front of the BBC television cameras. Coming up against the likes of Steven Gerrard, Mohamed Sissoko and Xabi Alonso, Nicholls helped Luton come back from a goal down to lead 3-1 – his well-taken penalty putting the Hatters in the driving seat before Liverpool turned on the style to eventually see Luton lose 3-5. However, Nicholls had shown that he could ‘mix it’ with the best and he was undoubtedly one the best players on the pitch that evening.

Missing over a month of action through injury towards the end of the season, he showed his determination and willingness to play when he battled back to start the final game of the season at Burnley (a 1-1 draw) when most players would simply have rested until the new season and seen it as an early pre-season break.

The type of player that any fan would want in their side, he attracted the interest of Hull City and Norwich City during the season, but thankfully for the Hatters faithful, he remained at Kenilworth Road.

A real fans’ favourite, Nicholls made 31 League appearances during his last season at Luton Town, the 2005-06 campaign, scoring 5 goals and the Hatters captain had made 175 League appearances for Luton Town, scoring 30 goals. However, much to the disappointment of the Luton Town fans - and coming just a day after striker Steve Howard was sold to Derby County for £1 million - Kevin was also sold. Signing a three-year deal with Championship rivals Leeds United, he left Kenilworth Road for a £700,000 transfer fee after becoming one of the most popular Luton Town players of the last decade.

However, his time at Leeds United was highly unsuccessful and in his first training session with Leeds, he suffered a knee injury but the club hoped to have him back within 3 months. Nicholls’ quick rehabilitation allowed him to make his debut for the club as a substitute in Leeds' match against Sunderland on 13 September 2006, one and a half months before he was due back.

Nicholls picked up another injury on 30 September 2006 against West Brom, damaging his medial knee ligaments, which kept him out until December. On 26 October 2006, he was made the new captain of Leeds United Football Club by new manager Dennis Wise, with Shaun Derry being appointed his deputy.

Nicholls returned from injury on 16 December 2006, starting in the 1-0 loss against Ipswich Town. This was his first game as captain of Leeds and it ended with a red card in the dying minutes. Manager Wise was adamant that Nicholls should not have been sent off but the club eventually decided not to appeal against the decision, so he missed Leeds' following three matches. He returned to the side once his suspension had been served in a 2-1 victory over Coventry City in what some Leeds fans described as a sensational performance.

However, by February 2007, many fans were booing his performances.
On 3 March 2007, Nicholls was dropped for Leeds' home match against Sheffield Wednesday. In his post-match interview, Dennis Wise said that Nicholls had asked to leave the club and return to his former club Luton Town. However, Wise stated that he would not allow him to return to Luton unless the original fee of £700,000 was paid back to Leeds. It was also stated that Nicholls had been stripped of his captaincy.

He became somewhat of a hate figure amongst Leeds fans. It was then reported in May 2007 that Nicholls and new captain Jonathan Douglas had featured in a training ground bust up with Dennis Wise. Blighted by controversy, Nicholls was eventually sold to Preston North End for £600,000 in July 2007 after just 13 appearances for Leeds United.

Still a massively popular figure with the Luton Town fans, there were hopes that he would return to Kenilworth Road, but with the Hatters unable to meet his wage demands and having been relegated to League One, he decided to make the move to Deepdale.

The move to Deepdale did not work out quite as planned and, in May 2008, Nicholls sparked rumours of a return to Kenilworth Road when he surprisingly appeared for Luton Town's legends side in a 2-1 win over an Arsenal Pro-Celebrity XI to mark the 20th anniversary of the Hatters' Littlewoods Cup win over the Gunners at Wembley in 1988.

With Nicholls still contracted to Preston North End, it was a shock to say the least to many Hatters fans to see him enter the fray in his usual central midfield role. It certainly left many Luton supporters wondering whether he’d be returning to Kenilworth Road. It was also rumoured that he stated at the end of the clash that it “was not his last game for Luton” and that he “really hopes he’s coming back.”

When asked officially by journalists on the chances of a return to Kenilworth Road, Nicholls said, "You never know do you. I had six fantastic years here but for now I'm a Preston player and thankfully they let me play here today.

"Luton is a fantastic club. I adore the fans and they've been fantastic to me. They were a big part of why I was so successful as a player here, I can't speak highly enough of them. It was good to run out at Kenilworth Road again."

Nicholls also had a word of praise for current Luton boss Mick Harford, saying, "I was at Luton with him under Joe Kinnear and he was fantastic. Obviously it's been a very unfortunate time with two relegations but I think he's the right man to take the club forward. He'll bring his own players in and I believe they'll be ready for next season and I hope they have a fantastic campaign."
Story date: Saturday, August 2, 2008