Award-winning Lawless is glad to have won Hatters’ fans over

The former York midfielder endured a tough season last year, receiving some hefty criticism from the terraces and could have left when his contract ran out.

But to his credit, Lawless was desperate to prove his worth and has done just that, with a host of consistently impressive performances.

On winning the awards, he said: “It meant a lot after one of the most difficult times of my career last year, when I was taking a bit of stick.

“To turn it around and do it at a club like Luton makes me even more proud, because with the amount of fans there are, that’s a lot more people to try and convince.”

Lawless is out of contract again this summer, but hopes to agree a new deal as he said: “Discussions are ongoing, that’s just the way it goes and hopefully we’ll get it done.”

The midfielder was also named captain for Town’s last Blue Square Bet Premier game of the season at Southport, making it two out of two wins under his charge.

He said: “We won against Skelmersdale (in the FA Trophy), so it’s a proud moment for me.”

On his decision to give the armband to Lawless, boss John Still added: “He’s the player of the year, so that will do.

“I could have picked one or two, but thought it was the right thing to do.”

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