If there was one moment that would define Brian Stein’s career it would be his winning goal in the League Cup for Luton.

Signing for the Hatters from non-league Edgware Town in 1977 as a winger Stein went on to become a prolific goal scorer at Kenilworth Road forming profitable strike partnerships with Bob Hatton and then Steve White during his first couple of years at the club.

He played a central role during Luton’s successful promotion campaign in 1981/82 that saw them earn a place in the old Division One. After taking the top-flight by storm in the early part of the season, playing alongside youngster Paul Walsh up front, Stein’s progress was curtailed by a broken foot in December.

He still managed to come back and help Luton beat Manchester City on the final day to avoid relegation. He and Walsh partnered each other at international level winning his only international cap for England in a game against France.

Walsh left for Liverpool prior to the 1984/85 season but Stein formed an equally potent partnership with another Hatters legend Mick Harford.

But by 1988 his days appeared numbered and his finest hour was still yet to come.

On 24th April, Stein would write his name into Luton folklore by scoring two goals, including the winner, against Arsenal to bring the League Cup back to Kenilworth Road.

Incredibly, after 11 years of service Stein was allowed to leave Luton and joined French side Caen. He spent two years in Normandy before moving to Annecy and then returning to Luton in 1991.

He was unable to save the club from relegation after 10 successive seasons in the top division and joined Barnet before hanging up his boots at the end of the 1992/93 season.

Stein returned to Luton seven years later to work as reserve team coach under Hartford and was promoted to assistant manager after his former teammate left for Nottingham Forest in 2004.

In March 2007 he was thrust into the role of caretaker manager but only managed one game in charge – a 2-0 home defeat to Ipswich – before leaving the club for a third time after Kevin Blackwell’s appointment.

He was reunited with Newell at Grimsby in November 2008 taking up the role of first team coach before being promoted to assistant manager in May 2009.

But by November he was out of a job again following Newell’s dismissal and replaced by Chris Casper after youth team boss Neil Woods was handed the reins at Blundell Park on a permanent basis.