Luton Town striker Nahki Wells has expressed disappointment over his team’s unsuccessful promotion attempt.

The Sky Bet League One side were unable to secure automatic promotion to the Championship and despite a late surge under coach Jack Wilshere, who replaced Matt Bloomfield in October, they missed out on the play-offs by just one point.

“I’m disappointed to have missed out on the play-offs and disappointed on how the season ended,” Wells told The Royal Gazette.

“It’s still a bit gut-wrenching and something that myself, my team-mates and staff are trying to come to grips with. But it’s football and it is what it is.

“Obviously, we lost it earlier in the season and we have to look at ourselves, but I’m looking forward to another year here.

“I really enjoyed the second half of the season, working with the new management and how it went.”

Wilshere’s side had to win away to Bolton Wanderers and hope other results went their way if they were to squeeze into the play-offs heading into the final game of the season.

However, despite holding their end of the bargain with a thrilling 3-2 win, victories for Stockport County, Stevenage Borough and Wells’s former club, Bradford City, prevented Luton from leapfrogging any of the trio into the top six.

It was not all doom and gloom for Luton as they lifted the EFL Trophy, with Wells scoring twice in a 3-1 win against Stockport in the final at Wembley Stadium to earn man-of-the-match accolades.

The Bermuda striker scored ten goals in all competitions, but feels he should have had more.

“I would’ve liked to have scored more goals and should’ve scored more,” he said.

“I’m disappointed with my return but since Jack has been in, I was able to get nine, so getting into double figures is good. But I would like to be pushing 15 to 20 goals and I am sure I can do that going into next season.

“It never gets any easier as I’m getting a bit older. But I know the league now, I know the staff and I know what we’re trying to do. We will be a much more consistent side next season and I can really see us doing it the right way — and that’s getting automatic promotion.

“That’s the aim and I’m just looking forward to some time off, regrouping and going again.”

Wells, 35, is among those whose services have been retained by the club as he still has a year left on the two-year contract he signed last summer after parting ways with Championship outfit Bristol City.

Leaving Kenilworth Road at the end of their contracts are midfielder Zack Nelson, winger Cohen Bramall and forward Jacob Brown.

Also parting ways are loanees Ali Al-Hamadi, Nigel Lonwijk, Emilio Lawrence, Kasey Palmer and Davy van den Berg who have all returned to their parent clubs.

Contract discussions continue with midfielders Jordan Clark and Liam Walsh with a view of retaining their services along with injured striker Elijah Adebayo.

While Wells and his team-mates fell short of promotion, compatriot Nathan Trott’s Cardiff City made a swift return to the Championship after finishing runners-up to Lincoln City to clinch the remaining automatic promotion spot.

The Bluebirds sealed automatic promotion with three games to spare, with Bermudian goalkeeper and Player of the Season nominee Trott holding his own between the posts.

The 27-year-old kept 16 clean sheets, including a club-record five in his first five league appearances, and conceded 46 goals in as many appearances in all competitions.

Trott joined Cardiff on a season-long loan from Danish Superliga champions FC Copenhagen last summer after agreeing to a deal which gave the Welsh club an option to sign him permanently should they achieve promotion back to the Championship.

The Bluebirds recently took up that option with former West Ham academy player Trott agreeing to the terms of an undisclosed three-year deal, which will run until the summer of 2029.