Barnet have completed the shock addition of experienced midfielder Luke Freeman on a deal until the end of the 2023/24 campaign, as confirmed via a statement on the club’s website.
The 31-year-old has been without a club since leaving Premier League side Luton Town in the summer and has spent almost his entire professional career in the Championship.
Who is Luke Freeman?
The experienced midfielder began his career with Arsenal before signing for Stevenage in 2012. Within two years, Freeman made his move to Bristol City before completing a £300,000 switch to Queen’s Park Rangers.
He made over 100 appearances at Loftus Road which led to a £5 million switch to Nottingham Forest before moving onto spells with Sheffield United, Millwall and most recently Luton Town.
Last season, Freeman made 26 appearances in the Championship whilst contributing to three goals as the club secured promotion to the Premier League.
More experience in the building
Freeman joins Barnet on a deal until the end of the campaign, which will allow him to add more experience to the National League side moving forward.
Barnet already have several experienced players including Gary Hooper, who made over 160 Championship appearances in his career.
Pushing for the top three
Currently, Dean Brennan’s men have experienced a frustrating series of results which has placed unneeded pressure on the Bees to secure a top-three finish and avoid an extra game in the playoffs at the end of the season.
After Solihull Moors failed to beat Dagenham & Redbridge yesterday, the gap between the two sides is now eight points although Andy Whing’s side still have a game in hand.
Writer’s View
I am genuinely stunned to see such a talented player like Luke Freeman drop into the National League but this will come as a major boost for Barnet.
His experience, leadership and attacking qualities will massively strengthen Barnet’s final third moving into the final 16 matches of the National League season.