Luton Town free transfer will go down in Hatters folklore | OneFootball

Luton Town's signing of Danny Hylton was exceptional.

Luton Town's rise from the National League to the Premier League will go down as one of English football's greatest stories.

A tale that all football fans now know – as recently as 2014, they were in the fifth tier but have since secured multiple promotions that have seen them grace the lofty heights of the first division.

To do this, they needed constant regeneration of the squad, and their 2016 signing of Danny Hylton has to go down as one of the best bargains in the club's history.

Signed on a free following the expiry of his contract at Oxford United, Hylton spent six memorable years at Kenilworth Road, cementing a unique legacy at the club.

While his presence diminished in later years, he continued to be a crucial figure off the pitch, offering support to his teammates as one of the experienced heads.

Danny Hylton tears up League Two

Successive seasons of 14 and 12 goals at the U's cemented Hylton as a solid League Two striker as he formed a partnership with Kemar Roofe.

However, despite being offered a new deal at the Kassam Stadium, he made the move to Bedfordshire, booking a new chapter in his career.

At the time, Luton Town were heading into their third season in League Two, having achieved two mid-table finishes following their promotion from the National League in 2014. The club hoped Hylton would be the gamechanger they needed to break into the top seven and ignite their push for League One football.

His first season was a huge success as he netted 21 goals in 39 league games and laid on seven assists. This saw the Hatters achieve a fourth-place finish but they came up short in the play-offs as despite Hylton sending them 5-4 up on aggregate, late goals from Blackpool meant that the Tangerines reached the play-off final.

This shortcoming would see Luton hit back the following year as they became a free-scoring side, netting 94 across the 2017-18 season. Once again, Hylton played a key role, contributing 21 of those goals. This time, his efforts were in a winning cause as the Hatters secured automatic promotion to League One at the fourth time of asking.

Hylton became a fan favourite at Luton Town

Moving up to League One, injury issues plagued Hylton, but he still managed to make 25 appearances for Luton. This saw him net eight goals and a hat-trick against Accrington Stanley was the highlight of a difficult season for the striker.

Injured against Charlton Athletic in March 2019, by the time Hylton returned, Luton had ascended to the Championship but found themselves battling at the foot of the table, sitting in 23rd place after 31 games. Although he only played 242 minutes across the final 15 fixtures, having their number nine in the changing room made a difference as, miraculously, Luton survived, picking up 27 points to take them to 19th place.

Over the following seasons, Hylton didn't feature as frequently as he wanted to with injuries marking his final years at the club. However, it wouldn't be uncommon to hear the "Super Danny Hylton" chant ringing around Kenilworth Road as the home faithful continued to display love for their number nine.

His 62nd and final goal for the club came on the 5th of April 2022, as he netted the opener in a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town. Two months later he departed the club, and left with the message of "What a journey! What a club!".

Signed on a free transfer in 2016, he has to go down as a club legend as without his contributions in League Two, the Bedfordshire club may never have graced the Premier League.