Ex-Stoke City and Portsmouth man Jacob Brown released by Luton Town just months after Barnsley FC 'talks'
Jacon Brown released by Luton Town just months after Barnsley 'talks'
Luton Town have confirmed the release of Jacob Brown just months on from talk of a return to Barnsley.
The 28-year-old represented the Reds between 2015 and 2020, registering 12 goals and 16 assists across 82 appearances.
He was lured from Oakwell by Stoke City, who eventually sold him to Luton in 2023 after the Hatters were promoted to the Premier League.
Brown was linked with a return to South Yorkshire in the dying embers of the winter window, when it was claimed talks over a Barnsley reunion were ongoing.
The Scotland international instead sealed a loan switch to Portsmouth and scored once across 15 appearances in Pompey colours.
Jacob Brown joins free agent market
He has now entered the free agent market as Luton have confirmed he is free to seek pastures new. Brown has been released by the League One club alongside former Rotherham United defender Cohen Bramall and ex-England youth international midfielder Zack Nelson.
In a statement, Luton said: “We thank all departing players immensely for their service during their time with the club and wish them every success for the future.”
It has undoubtedly been a difficult period for Brown, who could not have envisaged being released by a League One club just three years on from his Premier League move.
However, the energetic attacker could prove to be a shrewd free transfer pick-up for an EFL club this summer. Not only does he offer relentlessness, Brown is a versatile figure who can operate as a forward, winger or wing-back.
Jacob Brown’s early days
Oakwell may have been where Brown made it as a professional, but it was non-league outfit Guiseley who gave him a chance after he was cast aside by Sheffield Wednesday’s academy.
In an interview with the EFL’s official website last year, Brown said: “At the start of my under-17 season, I went to Guiseley, where I experienced my first taste of football and education.
“I did my first year there and then ended up signing for Barnsley where I went and did the second year of my apprenticeship.
“I loved being an apprentice. I think for me the timing was perfect after being out of a professional club for so long after leaving Sheffield Wednesday.
“I had a real buzz when I went to Barnsley, and despite having to balance the pressures of both my football and education, I was just buzzing to be back at a professional team.”