Bloomfield declares Town midfielder could be a 'top level footballer' for Luton

Hatters boss Matt Bloomfield believes that the recalled midfielder Lam Walsh has the undoubted ability to become a ‘top level footballer’ in the Championship for Luton.

Having started the previous two games before Bloomfield was appointed, the former Everton youngster caught the eye enough in both to suggest he was set for an extended run in the side, before immediately dropping to the bench as the new boss went with a midfield trio of the now departed Tom Krauß, Jordan Clark and Marvelous Nakamba.

The manager altered that once Krauss left, also dropping Nakamba to the bench too, Walsh gaining just 15 minutes during the next five games, that coming in the 1-0 defeat to Millwall. With Bloomfield opting for drastic measures against Sheffield United at the weekend though, making seven changes from the 2-0 loss at Sunderland and choosing a side laced with experience, it meant Walsh got his first chance from the opening whistle.

He certainly took his opportunity too, excelling in the centre of the pitch, as the former England youth international’s passing range caught the eye as it so often does, always eager to receive possession from his defenders and pinging some glorious balls out to either flank, also delivering a wonderful cross that Elijah Adebayo headed disappointingly wide.

Walsh demonstrated an eye for goal himself, cracking over the top from 25 yards, as asked about his efforts of a player who was making just his 65th league start despite earning a professional debut back in 2015, Bloomfield said: “Walshy’s had a real good career but also one that’s maybe unfulfilled at this moment because of the injuries that he’s had throughout his career.

"But he’s a top level footballer for our league, absolutely. The way he can dominate the ball and I think his game intelligence is something that also really impressed me at the weekend, when to press, when to sit in a block, when to join the front, when to support from beneath. His game intelligence is really high and again it’s about the combination in midfield, trying to make sure that it complements each other. Walshy’s been hard done by not to have played more since we’ve been here, but I thought Saturday he took his opportunity and that’s what we want.”

Before Bloomfield arrived, Walsh had suffered with his discipline, sent off twice for the Hatters after being introduced from the bench, including a mere 38 second cameo against Oxford United, which led to a hefty suspension due to the dismissals being straight red cards. Although unafraid to get stuck in against the Blades, he showed none of the rashness that saw him earn those reds, as Bloomfield continued: “We speak about a lot and we’ve spoken about all of it, his tackling, his on the ball stuff.

"He’s someone I really like, someone I think is a really good character. Quite a quiet character but just gets on with his business. He doesn’t cause any fuss, even when he’s been out of the team, he hasn’t caused any fuss. We’ve discussed it all and I thought he took it all out on to the pitch on Saturday and again, for our results to improve, we need players like Walshy to come to the fore.”

Alongside Walsh at the weekend was the experienced Nakamba as the pair looked to have developed an immediate rapport in the centre of the field for Luton, who looked far more secure against a side that ultimately went top of the table with the late winner than they have in previous matches. Bloomfield, a midfielder of some repute himself during his playing days for Wycombe, said: “It’s important to understand that when you pick a midfield combination it needs to provide some balance.

"Walshy has been really unfortunate to have missed out on the games so far, but he’s a top midfield player. The way he handles the ball, the way he influences those around him, he was very, very good and Walshy can be a big player for us between now and the end of the season. I thought Clicker, Krauß and Marv were very good in the first couple of games and then obviously Krauß decided to go home.

“Also, Marv, three games in a week against Millwall was tough for him, because he hadn’t done it for a while and it evolved slightly, but I think it was a real good performance from those boys. They set themselves a standard and we’ve also got Shandon (Baptiste) back who could be a big player for us as well and provide competition, so there’s good competition in there.”

The only issue that could affect the duo from being in tandem for the rest of the season would be the necessity to manage Nakamba’s fitness, after he missed a large chunk of the campaign with a serious knee injury. Bloomfield added: “There’s a few of the boys we have to manage their workload and their game time because of the injuries they’ve had, and that’s what we have to do to keep the boys available.

"We’ve also got to after the intensity and the performances and it’s not always easy to pick what’s your perception of the best team on the day because you have to manage lots of things behind the scenes that I’m not always able to discuss publicly, player loads and other bits of pieces that are part of the modern game. Marv’s been a big player for us for a couple of years, and will continue to be, but we have to make sure we look after him at the right times. I have a responsibility to the players in there, their health and their fitness as well, and I have to make those decisions at times that aren’t always easy to understand or see.”