Where Are They Now?                                   Profiles of ex-Luton players

Juergen Sommer

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Juergen was brought to Kenilworth Road as a young goalkeeper after finishing his studies at Indiana University in 1991. 

As a young ‘keeper, Juergen was loaned out during the first couple of years to lower Division clubs to gain experience. He was unable to dislodge Alec Chamberlain and Andy Petterson for the two goalkeeping places in the first-team at Luton and was sent on-loan to Third Division Brighton within the first couple of months of joining the Hatters, where he made one solitary appearance at the Goldstone Ground at the beginning of the 1991-92 season. Later that season the big American was sent out on-loan again to another Third Division side, Torquay United, where he made eleven appearances in a productive spell at Plainmoor.  

After the spells on loan in the lower Divisions, Juergen finally made is first appearance for the Hatters at the beginning of the 1993-94 season in an opening day win over local rivals Watford at Kenilworth Road. Although he went off injured after being involved in a nasty clash towards the end of the match with Watford, he returned for the next game and kept his place for the rest of the season, which of course cumulated in an appearance at Wembley, as Luton went on a giant-killing run towards the semi-finals of the FA Cup. He was sent off for the first and only time in his career in a 2-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest and missed a 1-1 draw with Birmingham City through suspension. Sommer ended the season sitting out the final match of the campaign at Stoke, where David Pleat handed Kelvin Davis his debut in a 2-2 draw at the Victoria Ground. Juergen ended the campaign with 55 appearances in League and Cup and received praise from his manager David Pleat and his excellent form towards the end of the season didn’t go un-noticed and earned him a call-up to the USA squad to play in the World Cup in 1994. 

The following season saw Juergen continue between the sticks where he made 43 League and Cup appearances, but, despite his excellent shot-stopping ability, he was occasionally found wanting in the air despite his height and dominance in the penalty area. Sommer’s international commitments saw him lose his place towards the end of the season, where Kelvin Davis’ excellent performances kept Sommer warming the bench. Davis saved two penalties – one in a draw at home to Watford and one in the final match at Ayresome Park in a 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough. 

His form though for the Unites States and from the season before saw Queens Park Rangers table a £600,000 bid and, after four appearances at the beginning of the 1995-1996 season, he moved to Loftus Road and kept goal for Rangers in the Premiership. Unfortunately for both sides, the season ended badly with both teams relegated. Juergen’s final appearance for the Hatters came in a 1-1 home draw with Leicester City. Sommer finished his career at Kenilworth Road with 101 appearances in League and Cup. 

Juergen’s time at Loftus Road was erratic. Excellent performances in home wins over Manchester United and Arsenal were followed up by less than convincing displays against some of Rangers' relegation rivals, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich. Still, he kept his place in the United States international squad and remained Rangers number in their season in the First Division. 

Juergen at New England.

Sommer, though, left Loftus Road in the summer of 1998, returning back to his native USA to play for the successful Major League Soccer side US Soccer Federation, moving from Loftus Road in a deal worth £175,000.  

Enjoying life back in America, he briefly returned to England on a match-by-match contract to play for Bolton Wanderers in an FA Cup match at the Reebok Stadium during the 2000-01 season.

After the one game in which he performed admirably, he returned back to the States where he joined MLS side New England Revolution.  He retired in 2004 and has worked as a volunteer assistant coach at Harvard University.

Profile By:  Andrew Barringer