Luton midfielder Jordan Clark insists Town’s players are already setting their minds on mounting a Championship title challenge next term to make sure their stay in the second tier of English football is for one season only.
Despite their best efforts to avoid relegation from the Premier League, the Hatters eventually came up just short, as they went down along with the both fellow promoted teams Burnley and Sheffield United. Rob Edwards’ side will now start the new campaign 7/2 with SkyBet for an immediate return to the promised land and Clark, who is eager for a second crack at the best league in world football, is looking to do just that.
He said: “We’ve spoken about it, this is the mentality of the players. It was, you know what, we need to get our mind on the Championship now. We need to be up there, make sure we’re at it, come in pre-season, be full throttle and get ready to attack. The manager’s already said to me, we’re going to try and win the league so that’s got to be the aim in pre-season.
“We’ve just got to look forward and give this club and these fans a special season next year. We’ll be a lot stronger, so we’ve got to make sure we’re challenging for automatics and trying to win the league.”
Although he knows there will be a few departures from Kenilworth Road, with Ross Barkley already linked with a move to Aston Villa, while Alfie Dought and Elijah Adebayo are just who are rumoured to be interesting other clubs, Clark is hoping the majority of the squad stays in place for a second crack at getting out of the Championship.
He continued: “I’m hoping so. Obviously we’re going to have players linked with other clubs as they’ve done so well in their first time in the Premier League, so it’s going to be tough to keep hold of a couple, but they’ve got to pay the right money for the players we’ve got as everyone’s seen they’ve come on so well this year.
It’s going to be interesting but as long as we keep the main core together, that’s the main thing, and go for it next year then I’m sure we’ll be better for it.”Clark is also determined to reward Town’s fans for their unwavering support in the top flight as well, having received wonderful ovations after each and every of their 38 matches in the season just gone. He added: “We’ve said it all year, this is a special, special club.
I don’t think any club will have that many fans after every game, no-one leaving the ground, even when we’ve played terrible, not one fan left an away game or a home game. I remember the Brentford game (5-1 loss), that will stick with me for a long time. We were awful, we didn’t deserve clapping off and they clapped us off, it’s just such a special place.”
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