The Town boss also spoke about contracts and Jack Senior
Hatters boss Nathan Jones was relieved by the Checkatrade Trophy draw that sees his side take on Yeovil Town at home in less than a fortnight’s time.
The Hatters cruised past Chesterfield in the last 16 stage, with Jack Marriott, Craig Mackail-Smith and Isaac Vassell all getting on the scoresheet in the 4-0 victory.
Had the fixture against the Glovers been the reverse, the Hatters would have had the long journey to and from Somerset on a Tuesday night, in what is a heavily congested period of the football calendar.
Jones said: “Yes, it’s a bonus to be at home. You wouldn’t want to add another journey to everything. It’s a good thing for us.
“Obviously it will be a very difficult game. Every time we play Yeovil it’s a difficult game. There’s more motivation in the camp for both sides, it’ll be a good game and it’ll be a very, very tough game.”
Another player who really caught the eye on Tuesday night against the Spireites was summer signing Jack Senior, with the teenage left-back’s forward runs and crisp crossing a real threat for the Hatters all evening.
The gaffer has been impressed with the Yorkshireman since he arrived and hinted that it could be time for him to be involved in some way in Sky Bet League Two for the first time this Saturday against Crewe Alexandra.
“We knew what kind of player we were getting,” Jones continued. “There’s a lot of development left in him, he’s the type we want though, he’s very proactive.
“He presses, he goes and backs himself, he’s excellent in possession, he has a load of character about him. His size and his stature doesn’t quite live up to what he has got inside, his heart and things.
“One hundred per cent [he’s in my thoughts to play him], he always has been. It’s just when to put him in and when to back him. We were going to put him in against Blackpool, away from home, but we just felt with the run they were on, the type of team they are, it would have been a real big ask for him and he puts a lot of pressure on himself because he wants to do well.
“It could be time [to play him]. We like him and we are pleased he is ours.”
Danny Hylton was rewarded with a fresh contract today which runs until 2019 after his scintillating form up front has really caught the eye since his summer move from Oxford United.
It follows the trend of the Hatters offering new contracts to players who have put in consistent, strong performances.
It’s something Jones prides himself and the club on and he is pleased to see so many prospects put pen to paper and commit their futures to the Hatters.
He said: “That’s always been a key thing for us. A lot of the players we have got on long term contracts. We have endeavoured to tie people down.
“Jack Marriott’s tied down, we took up Isaac Vassell’s option very early. We have a real good system and structure here of what we want to do and how we want to build. We have a lot of the younger ones on long-term deals and the ones that do well will get a reward.
“It’s a real, real good time for the club. I got to be honest to our board and the chief exec; we are proactive, so we don’t wait for a bid to come in or we don’t wait until there’s six months left on people’s contracts.
“We try and tie down our assets quite early and when you do well for us, we will reward you. We are not backward in terms of coming forward if you like.”
“That’s a real good way for the club to be, praise the lord we are in a situation where we are able to do that.”
Tickets for Saturday’s fixture against Crewe Alexandra are available for purchase from the Kenilworth Road ticket office until 2pm on Friday and will also be available to be bought from the Railwaymen’s away ticket office on the day from midday on Saturday.
Pre-purchased tickets can be collected from the Luton Town ticket office or arrangements can be made to collect from Crewe on the day from 12 noon.
If you are a Hatters Player subscriber, you can watch Nathan Jones full press conference by clicking here.