We thought it fair to call the August 2020 signing of Luke Prosser a bit of a coup after coming in from Colchester United; the centre-back skippering the Us as they made the 2019-20 League Two playoffs. But the rubbish reality of coronavirus is pretty much the one reason his time at Colchester ended. With his deal up, the Us let him go; their chairman admitting: “I have had to take the very difficult decision of not re-signing a number of players that, under normal circumstances, I would have been determined to re-sign.”
Of course, that played into our hands and let gaffer Alex Revell snap up a very experienced player. That had two benefits. First, the impact that’d have on our defensive capabilities. Second, the wisdom he could share with our young guns. Revs revealed: “With Scotty, Romain and Cokes, he’ll have a huge responsibility everyday to not only lead the squad with his experience, but show the younger players what it takes to be a top pro.”
In his first season, Boro’ struggled during the first half of the campaign – but soon found some form to end things on a high. The improving presence of Terence Vancooten and the rock-like nature of Scott Cuthbert would prove a growing challenge as far as first team opportunities were concerned. The 2021-2 League Two season saw him in and out of our struggling side; three (and a bit?) managers using him on 32 occasions in an effort to keep our sheets clean. He’d also keep the bench warm in 18 fixtures without seeing action.
In summer 2022, Pross moved on after two years at the club. Was it the preference of boss Steve Evans? Were we not quite able to offer assurances the player needed? Either way, a solid ‘thanks’ to an experienced pro.
Luke Prosser: Before Boro’
It all started for Prosser at Tottenham Hotspur. Like many others, however, the door to the first team was a hard one to budge. In fact, he didn’t get a YTS contract either. His career didn’t stall though. Port Vale took him on and brought him through their own youth system. He turned pro at Vale Park and started to make tracks into the first team. It wasn’t an easy ride. In August 2009, he was put on the transfer list. And there were a few loan spells with non-league sides during his stay with the Valiants.
After leaving Port Vale in summer 2010, Prosser signed a pre-contract deal with Southend United. At the time, the Shrimpers were under a transfer embargo. And that explains why the signing wasn’t ‘immediate’. He also trialled with Barnet and Lincoln City before joining the Roots Hall side. After ending up out on loan at Rushden & Diamonds during his first season with the Southend, he started to really establish himself in their back line; helping them reach the League Two playoffs for two seasons on the spin.
In summer 2015, Southend knocked back a bid from Northampton Town for him. One year later, however, the Shrimpers let the defender go on after his deal ran out. This doesn’t feel like smart business to us. Ho hum – their look-out, not ours. By this point, he had made his way to the Cobblers on loan. But they decided not to sign him that summer when he became available. So, in came Colchester United. After overcoming a couple of long-term injury absences in his first two seasons with them, he became an integral part of their defence.
And that (more or less) brings us up to where we come in.