The Thistle Archive

For an undisclosed fee and the promise of a Glenafton Athletic vs. Partick Thistle pre-season match, the signing of this defensive midfielder was announced on New Years Day 2024, the first day of the January transfer window. This followed a two month trial period with Thistle; an 18 month contract was the deal, with the club holding an option to extend for a further year.

Luke arrived in Maryhill having completed a football scholarship in the USA between 2018 and 2022. Starting at Lindenwood University in Missouri, he played 32 times netting 12 goals during his Freshman and Sophomore years. After transferring to Monmouth University in New Jersey, Luke continued to combine his football development with academic studies. Arriving back in Scotland in late 2022, Luke spent 2022-23 on the books of East Kilbride before signing for Ryan Stevenson's Glenafton Athletic during the summer of 2023.

Just 24 hours after being announced as a Jag, Luke got his first taste of Firhill tension when he was introduced in stoppage time for Stuart Bannigan, as Thistle wound the clock down in a 3-2 win over Queen's Park to get the New Year off to a good start. Phew. And just a few minutes later, Luke was over signing autographs for happy young Jags fans!

Luke impressed the Firhill faithful with his wholehearted approach and his willingness to play wherever asked by the manager. Having started mainly as a defensive midfielder who could make forward runs deep into enemy territory, Luke fell back into the centre of defence deep into the season, with injuries to the likes of Wasiri Williams and Daniel O'Reilly giving Kris Doolan selection headaches. This turned out to be an excellent move as Thistle conceded only twice in Luke's first seven games as a central defender. Dominant in the air and good with his feet, his positive influence on the team was clear for all to see, and this led to Luke picking up the coveted Player Of The Month award in both February 2024 and April 2024.

His first senior goal came in the first game of the Premiership play-offs at the Excelsior Stadium, a 2-2 draw with Airdrieonians on 7 May 2024. With Jags trailing after half an hour, one of Luke's trademark surges forward created space to shoot, and his 30-yard wonderstrike went in like a bullet. It was a goal-of-the-season contender straight away, and will live long in the memory for all who were there. His impressive start to life as a Jag was rewarded in the close-season of 2024 when his contract was extended by 2 years, taking him to the summer of 2027.