The best Luton Town players for Fantasy Premier League - and what you need to know about new boys
When Luton Town kick off against Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday, it will signal the start of the next chapter in one of the most remarkable fairytales in football history.
For the Hatters faithful, the past 10 years have been a rollercoaster ride through every division of the football league - but top-flight fans may be forgiven for not being across ever twist and turn of the club's rise.
So what do you need to know before the 2023-24 Premier League season kicks off this weekend?
Here, ITV News Anglia's Andy Ward guides you through how Luton Town got to the Premier League, how well equipped they are to survive - and the players who could give you an edge in Fantasy Premier League.
You can also hear Andy Ward in discussion with Lucrezia Millarini in the latest What You Need to Know podcast from ITV News - The Rebirth of Luton Town.
How they did they get here?
That's a big question.
Luton Town's remarkable journey from National League to Premier League wouldn't look out of place in a Hollywood script - it's been quite the ride.
To summarise, the club was hit with a 30-point deduction over financial infringements at the start of the 2008-09 season, which then led to them being relegated from the Football League for the first time in 89 years.
Five years in the non-league wilderness then followed, before manager John Still finally got them promoted back to League Two as Conference champions in 2014.
The arrival of Nathan Jones in 2016 proved to be the catalyst for more success. The Hatters were promoted from League Two under his leadership in 2018, and then looked on course to do the same from League One the following season before Jones quit to join Stoke City.
Club legend Mick Harford did manage to get them over the finishing line after riding to the rescue as caretaker boss, sealing a long-awaited return to the Championship.
Jones then returned to Kenilworth Road in 2020 after his spell at Stoke turned sour, managing to keep them up on the final day - despite the club being 10 points adrift of safety in February.
Remarkably, Luton made the play-offs in the 2021/22 season, going on to lose to Huddersfield Town in the semi-finals, before Jones walked out for a second time - this time to Southampton.
Rob Edwards, who'd just been sacked by bitter rivals Watford, was then announced as his successor, and the rest, as they say, is history - the Hatters beating Coventry City in last season's Championship play-off final to reach the promised land.
That's despite having one of the smallest budgets in the second tier.
Got your breath back yet?
Who have Luton Town signed this summer?
Despite only being promoted in late May, Luton have wasted no time in strengthening their squad for the top flight, bringing in nine new faces so far.
The most high-profile of those is former England and Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley who joined the Hatters on a free transfer this week after leaving French club Nice.
Aside from that, they've largely raided the Championship - signing wingers Chiedozie Ogbene and Tahith Chong from Rotherham United and Birmingham City respectively, goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski from Blackburn Rovers, and forward Jacob Brown from Stoke City.
They also broke their transfer record to sign left-back Ryan Giles from Wolves - a player who excelled in the second tier for Middlesbrough last season.
Danish centre-back Mads Juel Andersen has made the step up from League One Barnsley as well.
These are the type of players who will give them a good chance of bouncing straight back should the worst happen.
The Hatters have also managed to secure a permanent deal for Aston Villa defensive midfielder Marvelous Nakamba who quickly became a fans' favourite during a loan spell last season, while the club will be hoping that young Manchester City right-back Issa Kaboré has a similar impact on loan this time out.
Who should I pick in my Fantasy Premier League team?
Star striker Carlton Morris scored 20 goals for Luton in last season's promotion-winning campaign, and at a price of £5.5m in the official Fantasy Premier League game, is sure to be popular with managers.
Defender Amari'i Bell is another key player who is likely to start most weeks, while Manchester loanee Issa Kaboré has an opportunity to make the right wing-back spot his own after Cody Drameh returned to parent club Leeds United this summer. Both are available for a very affordable £4m.
If you're looking to save money, midfielder Marvelous Nakamba (£4.5m) is someone who is sure to feature week in, week out, although don't expect a deluge of goals and assists from a player who rarely gets across the halfway line.
The wildcard option could be Ross Barkley who has starred in the Premier League before, and will be hoping to do so again. At just £5m, he could end up being a snip if he gets back to anywhere near his best.
Can they stay up?
The honest answer is that it's going to be tough.
By their standards, Luton have spent money this summer, but their modest budget is a drop in the ocean compared to most top-flight teams.
The step up in quality from the Championship to the Premier League is significant.
What you can guarantee is that they will give it absolutely everything. The Hatters are the 13/8 favourites with the bookies to finish bottom, but being written off is exactly how they like it.
Even if they do go down, don't be surprised if they dish out a few bloody noses to the big boys along the way - especially at home.
Their form at Kenilworth Road is likely to be key, and with their passionate fans behind them, who knows if they can pull off another miracle.
If they were to finish 17th, it would arguably be their greatest achievement yet.
Want to hear more about Luton's incredible rise? Listen to the episode the What You Need To Know podcast