Confirmed: Player departs Luton Town | OneFootball

Erik Pieters failed to make an appearance for the Hatters after joining in December.

Erik Pieters has left Luton Town after just a month at Kenilworth Road, the club has confirmed.

The experienced defender was brought in as a free agent by ex-manager Rob Edwards in December with the Hatters struggling with injuries at the back, but he has now departed after failing to make an appearance.

The 36-year-old did make the bench in the first three games of his stint in Bedfordshire, but his opportunities became more and more limited as the weeks went on, and Matt Bloomfield has made the decision not to renew his deal.

Luton are currently 23rd in the Championship table, but are just a point off safety after drawing 0-0 at home to Preston North End on Saturday.

Pieters leaves Luton after just a month

Pieters left West Bromwich Albion at the end of last season after two years at The Hawthorns, but failed to find a new club until December.

He trained with the Hatters throughout the summer, and also started against Stevenage in a pre-season friendly following his now former side's relegation from the Premier League.

However, despite his experience in both the top flight and the Championship, he struggled to make a big enough impact to start games on a full-time return to Luton, and his departure has freed up space in the squad.

Bloomfield will be looking to bring in his own recruitments after he took over at the helm on Tuesday, and it was clear that Pieters' month-long deal was not going to be extended.

Luton released a short statement on their website following his departure: "Experienced defender Erik Pieters has left Luton Town following the expiration of his short-term contract.

"We would like to thank Erik for his contribution to the squad over the month he was with us, and wish him every success for his future career."

Luton need to bring in game-changers quickly

It's been an incredibly poor season for the Hatters, despite many hoping that they would bounce back after relegation from the Premier League.

Only Plymouth Argyle sit below Luton in the league table right now, and although the gap to those above them is incredibly small, there will be a great desire to see results improve quickly to ensure that these problems are put behind them.

Bloomfield needs time to make the changes needed to take them away from danger, but it is clear that signings are needed.

Luton's form on the road has been extremely poor, and if this does not change quickly, then there is only one way the Hatters are going to go. Their new manager will know this, and he will be hoping that the 0-0 draw with Preston gives his team a platform to build from.