Bloomfield reveals why he signed Lincoln's ex-Hatters captain for Wycombe ahead of reunion
Town come up against two former players this afternoon
Luton boss Matt Bloomfield revealed just why he was so keen on signing a ‘proper defender’ in former Hatters’ skipper and double promotion winner Sonny Bradley, now with this afternoon’s opponents Lincoln City, when he was manager of Wycombe Wanderers.
The 33-year-old arrived at Kenilworth Road in July 2018 and was a big part of the side who won the League One title and stayed in the Championship, also going on to reach the Premier League, although his role was limited in the latter, playing just 19 times that season. Bradley, who scored the club’s first goal when back in the second tier with a stunning strike against Middlesbrough, finishing with six in 175 outings, then left in the summer of 2023, going to Derby County, before a spell on loan at the Chairboys in January 2025, brought in by Bloomfied just before he moved to the Hatters himself, taking over from Rob Edwards.
After leaving the Rams, Bradley went to Lincoln in the summer, and despite being sent off against Mansfield recently, has hit a purple patch with three goals in his last three appearances, also helping the Imps keep four clean sheets in his last nine matches too. On just why he had wanted to bring the centre half to Adams Park, Bloomfield said: “Sonny was my last signing I think for me at my previous job, a great guy.
"I only had him for a couple of weeks but a straight up guy, just a proper defender, proper human, proper professional. I saw everything that I’m sure the supporters already know about him here, a real stand up guy, solid as a rock and an honest as the day is long defender. He’d been promoted out of the league before and we were in that position at the turn of the year that I wanted to bring in someone who had been there and done it, got promoted before.
"On the ball, he just keeps his game so simple, he’s got a nice diag (diagonal pass), plays down the line, he’s just a real leader. I loved everything about Sonny, I’d admired him from afar for many years when he was at Plymouth, when he was here, at Derby, and through a phone call with Warney (Paul Warne, then Derby boss) just before Christmas, he brought up that Sonny was available and it transpired that we were able to get him in, so I think that he’s a real good guy.”
Bradley isn’t the only ex-Hatter who Town will come up against this afternoon though, with striker James Collins, who netted 72 goals in four years for Luton, to sit 13th in the club’s all-time scoring list, moving to the LNER Stadium in January. He has begun in fine form this term, on target five times, making it 14 goals in 28 League One matches, as Bloomfield continued: “James Collins I played against when he was here and obviously at other clubs. I managed against him when he was at Derby and he’s someone who knows the game inside out and is very good in both boxes.”
With Lincoln having made an excellent start to the campaign, losing just one of their opening eight games to sit seventh in the table, the Imps know a victory over Luton would take them to the top of the tree for a few hours at least, if Barnsley’s result goes their way as well. City are also on a nine game unbeaten run in all competitions and welcome Premier League giant Chelsea on Tuesday night, as on the test in front of his side, Bloomfield said: “They’re solid, a very solid team.
"Skuse (Michael Skubala) has got them very well organised. They all know their jobs, they’ve got some real solid citizens, people who know the game, lads who have been around the scene for a number of years so it’s going to be a real tough afternoon for us. But we’re really excited to be working towards the team we want to become and we’re excited for the game.”
Having been jeered off by their own fans after losing 3-2 at home to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, then on whether it was something of a blessing being on the road for this contest, Bloomfield didn’t appear to mind, adding: “I just look forward to the games when they come round, genuinely. I just love this job that I get to work with such decent blokes and some ladies that work here too, and a group of people that are really hungry to improve together and to get better. That’s the bit I love. We’ve worked really hard this week and we’re looking forward to the weekend.”