Adebayo’s thoughts surrounding the Huddersfield clash:
Elijah Adebayo feels the Sky Sports coverage gives Luton another opportunity to show the cameras what this Luton team are all about, but doesn’t feel it adds pressure.
I asked Adebayo about the importance of the Huddersfield clash which will be played on Monday evening and if it being televised will give Luton and for him personally to show that the Hatters are ready for that step up not only for a play-off spot but maybe even the Premier League. Although Adebayo said “The Huddersfield game is great because we’re both in great positions” he didn’t feel that the match being televised needed to have an effect on him and his teammates. “I don’t think it’s to show what we can do, we’ve shown that already, we have been on Sky a numerous amount of times this season, and anyone who knows Luton Town knows what they’re going to get from a game of football. So, it is another opportunity to show what we’ve got, but people who have watched us before would know that we are a hardworking team and we score goals”.
As we were on the subject of goals, I asked Adebayo if he had set any targets this season as his goal tally has already reached fifteen in the Championship. Adebayo explained that he doesn’t set targets, and at the beginning of the season, he said to himself “I will score as many goals as possible” I questioned his reasoning behind having no specific targets and he believes “I don’t want to set myself a target because then you limit yourself, then you look forward and think this is the bonus, but if you take it step by step and score as many as possible, then the sky is your limit”.
Talking about another match appearing on television this season, Adebayo said “The Chelsea game, I wasn’t involved but it was fantastic, to get the early goal and everyone’s up off their seats and I was sitting there thinking the noise in here is amazing, everyone was buzzing and the game didn’t finish how we wanted it to, but it was a chance to say we can go toe to toe with big teams in the Premier League and if that’s where we want to get to then that’s the output we’re going to have to be putting in every week”. He said “We’ve just got to play the way we are and we’d be able to fight with anyone”.
(Image of Adebayo at the EFL Week of Action- Gareth Owen Photography)
Adebayo on Luton’s Premier League dream:
Adebayo believes Luton have got everything they need to make it to the Premier League, but at the same time he knows the Hatters have to take the journey one step at a time.
Adebayo believes Luton have got everything they need to make it to the Premier League, but at the same time he knows the Hatters have to take the journey one step at a time.
When questioned on the nerve-wracking end to the season not just for the fans but also for the players, Elijah Adebayo talked about the unity, passion, and desire of the Luton supporters and how it helps to keep the players going during difficult matches. Adebayo said that when he joined Luton it was like being introduced into a family, after the first three months. He said, “When I joined, they told me to get ready for the ride” when talking about the unexpected push towards the Premier League he said, “I believe that this is that part of that ride, and I would say I am thoroughly enjoying it at the moment”.
When asked what he thinks it’s going to take to make it to the Premier League, Adebayo said, “All the things we’ve got- desire, hard work, togetherness, fighting for each other. I think that’s what we’ve done throughout the whole season and something we’d do regardless. Its something just in the Luton team’s nature to fight for each other” Adebayo was repetitive about taking this last push “step by step” and “game by game” but although he explained beforehand that he is not looking into the future he says at this stage of the season “it is down to us” and he knows that “you always need a little bit of luck on your way”.
When asked if Luton can live up to the unexpected feat of making the play-off positions Adebayo said, “It’s hard because everyone wants to look ahead into the future, and us players, we just take it game by game, step by step. That’s how you have to look at it because every game is difficult, each match gives you new tasks, a different way of playing, but you’ve got to think about your opposition. And of course, we know we’re in a wonderful position, we can’t get too high and can’t be too low, and we will see where we are come the end of the season.”
Adebayo also highlighted the importance of the role the fans play in their success he said; You can sense by the stadium’s atmosphere, with the small compact fullness, the fans close to the players. The ground makes it intimidating for oppositions and makes us feel close with the fans. What the club has been through, the history in the past, it just brings everyone together”.
Although Adebayo knows Luton have pushed the boundaries this season and punched above their weight, he says they are not finished yet, “It has been a special season. Yes. But there are six weeks to go, we want to do something special, something the fans can remember. We’re doing our jobs on the football pitch and their doing their job in getting behind us. This is why they come here; this is why we play forty-six games to get to this point. Everyone wants to get to the end of the season and have something to fight for”. Adebayo repeatedly praised the fans for their support and efforts, “Everyone is supporting and in this together, striving for the same thing, you can see that from us, players, on the pitch and the passionate supporters we have here, week in week out at the Kenny. Us as players on the football pitch, we thrive off that and it keeps us going- like an extra player on the pitch because they’re so loud and I feel as I said it is like a family here”. Adebayo paid back the fans as after the interview he did a meet and greet with some of the local people from ‘Fit Hatters’ as part of the EFL trust he took his time of day to support them in their fitness camp and even posed for some pictures.
The original version of my interview has been featured in the Luton Today Newspaper. The link is below:
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