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Nathan Jones hopes to bring an assistant, coach and sports scientist with him to Stoke City as he starts his new life in the Championship.

That could mean a reunion with former trusted ally at Luton Town Paul Hart, who left to become technical director at Notts County only in October.

And a move back to Kenilworth Road to try to tempt first team coach Joaquin Gomez to head north.

Hart had worked with Jones since the spring of 2016, having described the former Nottingham Forest and Portsmouth manager as a mentor, having previously worked together in the Academy at Charlton Athletic.

(Image: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

It was Hart who convinced Jones of the merits of the diamond formation which has worked so successfully at Luton.

He told Sky Sports: "The truth of it is that I have learnt as much from Nathan as he has from me.

"He is very capable not only in his presentation and his preparation but also in his coaching and the way he wants to play, which is very attack-minded. You can imagine how difficult that is in the fourth division where you come across all sorts.

"We play a certain way and it is the most difficult way to play. We have been reasonably successful in getting that across to the players and they exhibit great courage in trying to play that way. He gives youngsters a chance, he recruits well and he does his homework.

"I knew what to expect. I first worked with him at Charlton when I was the one who employed him as their under-21 coach and he did very well with a group of young players. Right from the first interview, I was massively impressed and continue to be impressed.

"So when Nathan asked me to come to Luton I jumped at it for two reasons and both of those reasons came down to him really. Firstly, I could see his promise and I knew he was going to make great strides in the game. I have great faith in him.

"Secondly, it came down to the trust that he has put in me to help out and be there for him. He trusts me to speak to the players. After 20 odd years of working with young players to help them improve, I am much more back end of the week now. It is totally different."

(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Gomez was 30 when he arrived at Luton a couple of months after Hart in the summer of 2016.

He had been one of the youngest coaches to gain a Uefa Pro Licence and worked at Brighton with Jones under Sami Hyypia before heading to Derby, with Paul Clement, as head of tactical analysis.

“I used to play, but I wasn’t good enough to get a career out of it and I thought coaching was my passion and that’s what I wanted to do,” he told the Luton News.

“I went to university, got my qualification, tried to get experience wherever I could do. There were a few of us, we were very young to get our qualification, we got placements at Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and some other clubs.

“I coached for a couple of different academies down there before I decided to come over to England and a different football culture and progress in my career.”