Midfielder targets improvement after Accrington showing
Luke Guttridge says the best is yet to come from him after inspiring a Hatters comeback in the 2-2 draw at Accrington Stanley last Saturday.The 32-year-old, who suffered a metatarsal injury in the 3-0 victory over Alfreton on 1st March, was introduced by manager John Still as a 22nd-minute substitute with the Town trailing 2-0 at the Crown Ground.
And the influential midfielder’s presence on the field sparked the Hatters into life, and goals from Luke Rooney and Jake Howells were enough to secure a point which looked unlikely after 15 minutes.
However, despite his performance, Guttridge believes there’s more to come from him as he continues to make strides in his rehabilitation from last season’s injury.
“It’s the best part of six months since I played consistently and I still don’t feel fully up to speed if I’m being completely truthful,” admitted Guttridge to Hatters Player.
“I always push myself to the maximum and probably train when I shouldn’t and play games ahead of fitness levels.
“So to expect myself to come in and hit the ground running is difficult. That’s what you ask of yourself, that’s the target.
“I still feel like I’ve got a little way to go, not so much on fitness, more sharpness on the ball, crisper passing.
“There were a few times I’ve underhit passes which is frustrating for my part but I know the more games I can play, the longer I can get, the better my performances will be.”
As for the injury itself, the midfielder – who has won the League 2 title before when with Southend – knows his recuperation won’t happen overnight.
“It’s still a bit achey, it’s not the greatest operation to have, there’s a big screw in there and the bone graft so there’s always going to be some discomfort in there with the screw head pushing against the bone,” he explained.
“It’s something that’s probably going to take me six months to heal with playing and stabilise.
“You’re going to have a few aches and pains here and there but in general it feels good and I’m getting through it.
“I’ve probably come back a bit ahead of schedule and I’m absolutely delighted with that.”
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