Nathan Jones is set to seal a return to Luton and be reappointed as the Championship side’s new manager on Thursday.
The Hatters are poised to turn back to their old boss, who is also 47 on Thursday, having been without a permanent manager since his namesake Graeme Jones left in April.
Nathan Jones was prised away from Kenilworth Road by Stoke in January 2019, departing after three successful years. He left Stoke last November and Graeme Jones’ exit has paved the way for his return.
Jones is heading back to Luton with Championship clubs preparing for football’s resumption after being suspended due to the coronavirus crisis.
Luton are currently second bottom, six points from safety with nine games to go.
Graeme Jones, Roberto Martinez’s former No.2, left by mutual consent at the end of April as the financial strain began to tell on clubs with the season having been stopped in mid-March.
Club legend Mick Harford stepped in once again as interim boss as Luton chose to wait until the situation regarding football’s return became clearer before pressing ahead with their plans to bring back Jones.
Jones will be well-remembered at Luton having led them from League Two to well on their way to the Championship in his first spell.
He steered them away from League Two trouble following his appointment, to the League Two play-off semi-finals in his first full season and then automatic promotion as League Two runners up in the next campaign.
Luton were second in League One and on a 13-game unbeaten run when he was tempted away by Stoke, with Harford finishing the job Jones started by guiding the Hatters into the Championship.
Welshman Jones, a former Luton player and Brighton coach, also earned a reputation for playing entertaining and free-scoring football with his side scoring 301 times in his 170 games.