Luton Town securing an option-to-buy clause in the contract of West Ham United youngster Gideon Kodua is already looking like very astute business.
To quote Matt Bloomfield, the Hatters boss who jumped at the chance to reunite with a talent he worked with previously at Wycombe Wanderers, signing Kodua permanently ‘is a great opportunity for us as a football club if he becomes the player that we believe he can be’.
On Tuesday night, as Luton Town thrashed Barnet in the EFL Trophy, the adaptable, all-action 20-year-old whizzkid took another big step towards fulfilling the potential Bloomfield so clearly believes in.
Two years ago, when West Ham obliterated Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup final, Gideon Kodua started and scored as a right-sided attacker in a 4-2-3-1.
Now, Bloomfield highlighted the Luton loanee’s versatility when explaining the decision to take him to Kenilworth Road over the summer. And, since then, Kodua has blossomed as a right-sided wing-back in a 3-5-2 system in Bedfordshire.
It was from that rampaging, touchline-treading role that the former West Ham United academy captain set Luton on their way to a 4-1 midweek victory.
Gideon Kodua celebrates during Arsenal U18 v West Ham United U18 - FA Youth Cup Final
Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Gideon Kodua shines for Luton Town as West Ham United loanee makes big step forwards
As midfielder Zack Nelson picked up the ball and looked for a pass, Kodua turned on the afterburners and zipped down the flank, darting in behind a Barnet defence who could not live with his breakneck pace.
Kodua’s first time cross allowed Lasse Nordas to sweep home without breaking stride.
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By the time he exited to gracious applause just past the hour mark, the London-born flyer could consider himself very unfortunate not to have added a second assist to his nightly tally.
“Gideon Kodua shone in his 63 minutes on the pitch as wing-back,” The Lutonian write in their post-match debrief. “At one stage, he spun on the halfway line and beat a bevvy of Barnet players, but his teammates weren’t alive enough to steer in his cross.
“But he was always direct and, for a player still chasing full fitness, looks a promising talent.”
Gideon Kodua was hoping to improve his end product at Kenilworth Road, having found goals and assists hard to come by during two previous spells at Wycombe.
Only seven games into the new campaign, he already has one of each. After a thumping, Tomas Soucek-esque backpost header proved to be a consolation and nothing more in a 2-1 defeat by Bradford, this time Kodua’s attacking output laid the foundations for a Hatters victory.
“Part of a dominant display from the visitors, as his pace and willingness to attack kept Barnet hemmed in at times,” Luton Today say while handing Kodua an 8/10 rating for his evening’s efforts.
“Got some good crosses in and had a crack from a free kick that was well wide, but showed real determination and commitment to the cause, winning seven tackles throughout the contest.”
Matt Bloomfield is keen to keep Hammers’ FA Youth Cup winner at Kenilworth Road
That impressive number of tackles represents another step forward in his development. As Malick Diouf demonstrated during West Ham’s 3-0 triumph over Nottingham Forest on Sunday, an attack-minded full-back/wing-back must be capable of making key contributions at both ends.
“We’ve got an option to buy if we wish to I believe, and that’s a great opportunity for us as a football club if he becomes the player that we believe he can be,” Bloomfield said last month. “Gids is a boy that obviously I believe in, we believe in because we’ve signed him before.
“The club believes in him as well.
“We know that ‘Gids’ is a boy who can take us up the pitch and one of the reasons why we wanted him here. He’s a real resilient, solid character, someone who’s desperate to do well in the game. He’s a dribbler, he’s a creator, he’s someone who, if we can get him in the final third, will create for us.
“We feel like we’ve not reached anywhere near his ceiling yet, so he’s another project for us. Someone to develop. We believe in young players, we believe in developing and he’s one that we really are pleased to bring to the football club.”