Hannant grateful for Gateshead support after landing Oldham Athletic move

Luke Hannant has admitted he will be ‘forever grateful’ for his time at Gateshead after leaving the National League club to join League Two newcomers Oldham Athletic.

The versatile wing-back initially joined the Heed back in 2016 after spending time with Northern League club Team Northumbria and went on to earn a professional contract under Neil Aspin. His performances over an 18-month spell landed Hannant an opportunity in the Football League as he followed Aspin to Port Vale before making over 60 appearances for the Valliants.

After racking up over 150 appearances for Cambridge United and Colchester United and spending time on loan at Scottish club Dundee, Hannant returned to Gateshead almost five years after his initial departure when he re-joined the Tynesiders in August 2023. His first season back on the south bank of the Tyne ended with mixed emotions as the disappointment of being prevented from competing in the National League play-offs was somewhat tempered by an FA Trophy final win over Solihull Moors as the Heed experienced Wembley glory for the first time.

Hannant’s final season with the club was a personal triumph despite his side missing out on a play-off spot following a dismal second half to the season. The 31-year-old collected four awards at Gateshead’s end-of-season presentation night as he landed the Player’s Player, Supporters Player and Goal of the season honours as well as securing the Golden Boot award after being the club’s top goalscorer. His form brought interest from a number of EFL and National League clubs - but it was newly-promoted Oldham Athletic that won the race for his services and brought down the curtain on his time with the Heed.

Reflecting on his two spells on Tyneside, Hannant told The Echo: “Gateshead gave me my opportunity back in full-time football and I’ll be forever grateful for that. I will always say nice things about the club and remind myself and everything around me of the opportunity they gave me. The people I’ve met, the fans, the relationships I’ve gained, it will stay strong within my heart and knowing how much the club means to those people, it was something I bought into and they allowed me to be part of that.

“I was fresh out of uni when I first came in back in 2016, I had no expectations, I just wanted to work hard and see what happened. When I came back I had a different mindset and I was a more experienced figure so that allowed me to express myself more. The last two seasons were the best seasons I’ve had in my career and people say when you get to 30 your performances dip - but Gateshead allowed me to achieve my best two personal seasons. We played expressive football, passing and attacking football and that was a perfect two years of my career that have allowed me to move back to the Football League and I’ll be forever grateful for that.”

Wembley win

Perhaps unsurprisingly, winning at Wembley was the highlight of Hannant’s time at Gateshead as his side saw off National League rivals Solihull to lift the FA Trophy for the first time.

After sharing four goals with the Moors, the Heed kept their nerve during a tense penalty shoot-out and left Hannant with a memory he says will live with him for the rest of his life.

He said: “Wembley was the pinnacle - but you never know, it might have been promotion. You just don’t know what could have happened if we were allowed to play in the play-offs. Even finishing in the play-offs was a massive achievement for us - but going to Wembley weeks later, winning the Trophy, you couldn’t have written it any better because it was just a classic example of typical Gateshead. That memory will live with me for the rest of my life and it was a great day for everyone connected with the club, the players, our friends and family, and most importantly, the supporters.”

Personal reasons

With his Gateshead career now behind him, Hannant has got preparations for his own return to League Two underway over the last week. After penning a two-year deal with the Latics, the former Heed star completed his first training sessions with his new team-mates last week. Despite receiving interest from several other clubs, Hannant has revealed there were a number of reasons why moving Boundary Park ticked all of the boxes for him.

“It was a strange summer because I wanted something sorted sooner. I had interest from elsewhere but Oldham is a massive club and Gary Brabin is there, who I worked with at Port Vale. There are personal reasons as well because because living in Manchester is perfect for me as I’ve been able to move closer to my girlfriend and play my football back in the Football League. It’s a season I am looking forward to and I can’t wait to see what the next couple of weeks can hold for me and the club.”

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