Luton Town have been through a lot on and off the field as a football club during the 2000s with them currently back in the Championship after tumbling down the leagues to non-league football.

The Hatters started the 2000s in the English second tier and spent most of the first few years of the period between League One and the Championship. However, following their relegation from the Championship in 2006/07 the club fell through the divisions suffering three successive relegations to Conference. It took them five seasons to secure a return to the Football League.

Since their promotion back to League Two in 2013/14, the club have been on an upward trajectory and they secure promotion to the third tier in 2017/18 and went onto win the League One title in their first season back at that level the year after. Since then, they have been operating in the Championship and are on course for a mid-table finish this term.

During what has been a very eventful period in the Hatters’ history, we rank their top 10 best strikers since the year 2000. Do you agree with the order?

Before we start this list it is worth noting the likes of Isaac Vassell, Paul Furlong, Matthew Barnes-Homer, Stuart Fleetwood, Liam George and Harry Cornick as part of a group of players unlucky to miss out.

However, kicking the list off in tenth is Paul Benson, who makes the list having managed to play a vital role in helping the Hatters get themselves back into the Football League after a few frustrating seasons in the Conference.

Benson arrived at Luton in the summer of 2013 on a season-long loan deal from Swindon Town and he helped to play a crucial role during his loan spell with the Hatters. The forward managed to fire in 17 goals in 36 appearances in the Conference as the club managed to secure promotion back to League Two during the 2013/14 campaign. His partnership between himself and Gray was vital to their success.

The forward was signed on a permanent basis in the summer of 2014, but he was not able to be as prolific for them League Two and he managed to score just one goal in 21 matches. The following year he managed to score four goals in 20 league appearances and he would leave the club at the end of the 2015/16 campaign.

Making it onto the list in ninth is Chris Martin, with the forward having shown the potential he had to develop into the quality player he became during a loan spell with the Hatters in 2008/09.

Martin arrived at the club in the summer of 2008 on a season-long loan from Norwich City in what was always going to be an uphill battle for survival after they had been deducted 30 points. The forward was able to impress for the Hatters and he managed to chip in with 11 league goals in his 40 appearances in League Two that campaign.

He also scored two extra goals in the cup competitions and was able to play a part in helping the club win the Football League Trophy. Despite his time with the club ending with relegation to the Conference, it was still a successful loan period for Martin. It was one that helped to kick start his career.

In eighth place here is Tom Craddock, who makes this list having managed to enjoy a standout campaign for the Hatters during the 2009/10 season as he helped them challenge for promotion.

Craddock was initially signed by the Hatters on loan from Middlesbrough in October 2008 and that was extended from a month-long loan in November after he had scored three goals in four appearances.

During the following January transfer window, the club made his move a permanent one and he scored 12 goals in 30 games in total that term as they won the Football League Trophy but were also relegated.

During the 2009/10 season, Craddock was linked with a potential move to Leicester City, but no move materialised and he went on to fire in 22 league goals in 44 appearances in the Conference and also hit 24 in all competitions. However, despite his goal tally, the Hatters could not earn promotion and he left the following summer making the move to Oxford United.

In seventh place on this list is Mark Cullen, who made important contributions towards helping get the club back into League Two and also establishing themselves back in the fourth tier.

Cullen arrived at Luton in the summer of 2013 after he had left Hull City at the end of the 2012/13 season. The forward was largely used from the bench during the 2013/14 campaign with the form of Paul Benson and Andre Gray keeping him out of the team. He still managed to make some important contributions and chipped in with eight goals in 29 league games as they earned promotion.

The following season, Cullen was promoted to a regular starter in League Two after the sale of Gray and he took his chance managing to score a number of important goals including a hat-trick in a 3-1 win against Dagenham and Redbridge.

However, he had stated in February that he wanted to leave the club and play at a higher level which sort of soured things for supporters. He ended that season win 14 goals in 47 games and moved to Blackpool that summer.

In sixth place on the list is Jack Marriott, who makes the list having managed to be an impressive performer during his two seasons with the club and going onto enjoy more success with Peterborough United after leaving.

Marriott was signed by the Hatters in the summer of 2015 after he had been released by Ipswich Town and the forward managed to be Luton’s most important player during his first season with the club managing to fire in 16 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions. That saw him earn the club’s Player of the Year award and also share the Young Player of the Year award with Cameron McGeehan.

The following season, Marriott was not quite as prolific in front of goal as he had been in his first campaign with the Hatters. He ensured a couple of lengthy goal droughts of ten and 16 matches during the season. He still managed to finish off the term with 12 goals in all competitions as they missed out on promotion through the play-offs. Peterborough then made a move for him in the summer of 2017.

Coming into the list in fifth place is Rowan Vine, who was an impressive performer for the Hatters in League One and then the Championship during his two-and-a-half seasons at Kenilworth Road.

Vine was brought in by Luton in the summer of 2005 on a permanent basis from Portsmouth, after he had spent the 2004/05 campaign on loan with them and fired in nine goals in 45 appearances to help them earn promotion to the Championship. During the 2005/06 season, he played a key role in helping them consolidate themselves in the second tier scoring ten goals in 31 league matches.

The following season, Vine continued his promising form for the Hatters and he managed to chip in with 12 league goals in 26 appearances and hit 14 in all competitions by the January transfer window. That form was enough to convince Birmingham City to pay £2.5 million for him the winter window but he would ultimately struggle at St Andrews.

Gray comes in at fourth place with him having been a prolific scorer for the Hatters in the Conference and a key reason why they were able to get back into the Football League.

Gray arrived at Luton initially on loan from Hinckley United in March 2011 with a view to a permanent deal, and he fired in five goals in nine league games in the back half of the 2011/12 campaign.

That was enough for him to earn his permanent switch and in the 2012/13 season, he was able to flourish scoring 17 league goals and 20 in all competitions as the Hatters missed out on promotion. He also featured during their FA Cup giant-killing of Norwich City.

The following campaign, Gray was in even more prolific mood in the final third and he managed to fire in an impressive tally of 11 goals in ten matches in the Conference between November and January to help them to the top of the table. The forward finished the season with 30 goals in 44 league games as the club earned promotion. Brentford then came in for him in the summer of 2014.

Just about squeezing into the list ahead of Gray is Danny Hylton, with the forward having been equally as prolific but at a higher level in League Two and he has also given them more longevity.

Hylton arrived at Luton in the summer of 2016 after he had rejected the offer of a new contract at Oxford United. He managed to make an instant impact with a goal on his debut against Plymouth Argyle and would finish his first campaign for the club with an impressive tally of 21 league goals and 27 in all competitions in his 47 appearances.

The following season, Hylton continued his fine scoring form and this time was able to help fire the club to promotion to League One. The forward managed to score another 21 goals in the league as the Hatters finished in second place in the table. During the 2018/19 season, he was less prolific but still played a major role in helping them secure a second successive promotion with his eight goals.

Last term, Hylton did not make as much impact for the Hatters as he would have liked in the Championship and he was limited to just 11 goalless appearances. At the time of writing, he has yet to score this term either, but he still remains a useful option in the squad.

In second place on this list is Luton’s current talisman upfront James Collins, with the forward having played an instrumental role in helping to get the Hatters promoted from League Two all the way to the Championship.

Collins was signed by Luton in the summer of 2017 and alongside Hylton, he caused a lot of problems for opposing defences in League Two managing to fire in 19 goals in 42 appearances as the Hatters earned automatic promotion. The following campaign, the striker became the club’s go-to player for goals and he fired in 25 league goals as they won a second successive promotion.

Last term, Collins proved that he could adapt to the Championship and he was a key reason the Hatters were able to survive late on in the campaign following Nathan Jones’ return. He chipped in with 14 league goals in 46 matches. So far this term, Collins has continued to be a crucial player and has been scoring some vital goals.

When you think of Luton forwards since the 2000s you would be hard-pressed to not first turn to Steve Howard. The forward was a reliable and consistent goalscorer with the Hatters and fired in over 100 goals.

Howard was signed in March 2001 from Northampton Town but he could not prevent the Hatters from being relegated in the 2000/01 campaign despite scoring three goals in 12 appearances. The following season he enjoyed his best scoring term for the club hitting 24 league goals in 42 appearances to help them bounce back to the third tier at the first time of asking.

Another 22 league goals followed during the 2002/03 campaign, before he weighed in with a further 15 league goals the following year. He then scored 18 in the league as the Hatters earned promotion to the Championship in 2004/05. Howard’s first term in the Championship saw him prove he could perform at that level and he found the net 14 times in 43 appearances.

That persuaded Derby County to make a move for him in the summer of 2006 and they paid a fee of around £1 million to take him from the Hatters.