Carlos Mendes Gomes has penned a heartfelt message to Morecambe's supporters following his move away from the club.

The talented forward has completed a permanent move to Luton Town and will move to the Championship club on a long-term deal for an undisclosed fee.

Mendes Gomes enjoyed a wonderful campaign for Morecambe and played a crucial role in helping the club to secure promotion from League Two after scoring 16 times over the course of the campaign, including the decisive goal in the play-off final against Newport County.

Both Sunderland and Rangers were said to be interest in a move for the 22-year-old, however the Hatters have now got the deal over the line.

While the move is a great opportunity for the player, Mendes Gomes wrote an extensive letter to supporters of Morecambe to express his gratitude for their support during his time at the club.

Taking to social media, Mendes Gomes said: "It has all come down to this. Years filled with highs, lows, victories and defeats, we’ve gone through all of them together, as a family.

“It hurts saying goodbye but all I can say is that I couldn’t have been the person that I am now without the support of the fans, my teammates, my family and the club. I have nothing but gratitude towards this club and this town.

“However I believe that the time has come to open a new stage in my life.

“I’ve had amazing teammates but more importantly amazing people, it wasn’t the same without the fans this season but I hope they enjoyed watching us and achieving promotion.

“Morecambe has won my heart as well as my family’s. That’s why I would like to say thankyou to the board, my teammates, my coaches, the managers all for making the next step possible, the incredible workers that made sure that everything was in place and last but not leas, the fans that have showed me love since the day I walked in.

“Once a shrimp, always a shrimp.”

The verdict

It's hard to deny that Carlos Mendes Gomes has deserved this move.

The 22-year-old was quite brilliant for Morecambe last term and undoubtedly was the difference between securing promotion and not.

While life in League One awaits for the Shrimps, it was clear that the forward was capable of kicking on and he'll be delighted to have the chance to play in the Championship next term.

Luton will be preparing for a tough season but the hope is that Mendes Gomes can adapt to life in the Championship and really show his quality at that level.