EX-MIDDLESBROUGH loanee Ryan Giles says the opportunity to again link up with Rob Edwards was one of the key reasons behind his decision to join Luton Town.

Edwards knows Giles from their time together at Wolves, while the now-Luton boss also gave the left-back his senior debut when he was in charge of Telford back in 2018.

Edwards has kept a close eye on Giles' progression since and says the 23-year-old was one of the "most outstanding wide players in the Championship" last season during his loan spell with Boro.

Boro unsurprisingly wanted to bring Giles back to Teesside this summer and the defender is understood to have been keen on a return, but the emergence of interest from the Premier League made matters difficult. As much as Boro would love to have re-signed Giles, the summer budget needs to be balanced, with at least one striker on the wishlist as well as a left back and a midfielder.

After completing his Luton move, Giles said: “I’ve reached the point that at my age that I’ve had a lot of loans and I feel those experiences have made me the player and the person I am today. Now this is a different direction, a new beginning, a new chapter.

“I’m grateful to Rob for giving me my first taste of men’s football and now with the chance to work with him again, especially in the Premier League, it is a fantastic opportunity.

“I thrive off creating chances and I can’t wait to get to know my teammates and get the fans off their seats. I’m really excited and want to hit the ground running.”

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Edwards said: “He’s a really exciting signing for us. I’ve known Ryan for a long period of time; I gave him his first taste of senior football back at AFC Telford when he was a young kid on loan from Wolves.

“He’s had a few loans and he’s got lots of experience now, cumulating in last season where he was one of the most outstanding wide players in the Championship. He’s got electric pace and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone who can cross a ball on the run with the quality he can while at full speed.

“He’s going to help us in those moments when we need to transition quickly, and he also possesses outstanding set-piece quality."

After it became clear Boro were going to miss out on Giles, they turned their attention elsewhere as they look to strengthen at left-back, with SC Cambuur's Alex Bangura strongly linked.

The 24-year-old, like Giles, is a full-back who is comfortable going forward and is also said to be wanted by clubs in Holland, Italy and Belgium.

Earlier this summer, he made it clear that he would be interested in a move, saying: "The club knows how I feel about it. Now is the time. There are no offers yet, but should a nice club present itself, then I could leave, yes."

Marc Bola left Boro for Samsunspor earlier this summer, leaving Hayden Coulson as the only senior left-back on the club's books as things stand.