Departing Luton defender admits injuries were a ‘humbling experience'

Former Luton defender Amari’i Bell admitted the injury problems that hindered his last two seasons at Kenilworth Road were a ‘humbling experience’ after his lengthy run of matches had previously left him feeling ‘invincible’.

Having signed on a free transfer from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2021, the Jamaican international barely missed a game during his first two years in Bedfordshire, starting 86 of the 92 league fixtures Town were involved in, plus all five of their play-off games too, before the amount of matches he was churning out and his regular call-ups for the Reggae Boyz took its toll, playing just 21 times in a maiden Premier League campaign he had waited over a decade to be involved in.

Absent for the final 12 fixtures due to a hamstring issue picked up against Aston Villa in March, Bell then suffered further hamstring problems last term, restricted to 31 starts in the Championship as Town dropped back into League One, finishing third bottom of the table, a final day 5-3 loss at West Bromwich Albion confirming their relegation.

Speaking to the club’s official website, discussing just how the problems that hampered his availability in the last two years, especially in the highest echelon of English football, affected him, Bell said: “It’s a league you always want to play in. I’ve always believed I could play in the Prem, I just wanted to get that opportunity. For me it didn’t go as planned especially with the injury, it took a lot of games away from me. But to be able to grace myself in the Premiership, it was amazing and I don’t think anyone can take that away from me.

"It was tough because until that moment I felt like I was invincible. I played however many 90 minutes back-to-back and I thought my body was indestructible, but it kind of gave me a humbling experience. I feel like also not to take advantage of the beautiful game and to just to enjoy every moment and not take it for granted.”

Asked how it was coping with the constant battle of spending time in the treatment room, having been used to featuring so regularly in the first team, the defender, who will leave Kenilworth Road when his contract expires later this month after making 157 appearances in total, continued: “It’s hard, especially in a season where everyone had worked so hard for. Injuries are such a struggle, such a mental battle, especially the days when you’re in the gym and the boys are outside training. You’re grinding, it’s very tough, but I also believe there’s a reason for all of these things and it helps you to be a better person.”

Prior to signing for the Hatters, Bell had struggled for regular game time while at Ewood Park, which meant he clearly relished getting the amount of first team outings he was gaining with Luton, as both previous managers Nathan Jones and Rob Edwards ensured he was a mainstay of Town’s defence, saying: “I feel like the previous few years before I joined, I played half a game each season so I needed to come somewhere where I felt the love from my team-mates, the fans, the staff and I felt that more than ever, so it definitely worked in my favour.

"Playing games consistently was just amazing as everyone wants to play games. It's frustrating when you’re not starting, so I was just fortunate enough to play lots of games for this club which has been great. I met with Nathan and I think he was one of the deciding factors of me joining this club. He was a young, hungry manager, he had all these ideas, ideas of how he saw me playing, where I could play and I just thought he would improve my game. I just wanted to jump on board, work with him, work with the squad, improve and see where it takes me.”

Where it took the 31-year-old was to a season in the top flight of English football, which was something that although he believed could happen in his time as a player, didn’t expect it to be so swiftly, as after losing to Huddersfield in the play-offs, in Bell’s second campaign, Town went the whole way when defeating Coventry City on penalties at Wembley 12 months later.

The defender stated: “I'll be honest, I didn't imagine we would get promoted in two seasons, I thought it would take a little bit longer to be pushing for that promotion but it happened so quick. After the first year we got that taste for it and we had that little bit of experience of how we can get there. We added a few additions like Carlton (Morris), which was pivotal in that and we pushed again and we just got it over the line.”

With Bell playing 57 games for club and country that year, it’s a year he hopes his performances stick in the supporters’ minds, adding: “The promotion season is the season that I’d want them to remember, but also just that I always wanted to be out there. I always gave my all for the club, I just always wanted to fight for the team, fight for them and succeed in every game that was possible. It’s been a crazy, crazy journey, one that I probably couldn’t have imagined, but it's been great.

"I’ve enjoyed the ride, I learnt so much being here, learnt so much about myself and it’s been pivotal in my career, one that I’ll definitely look back on with a lot of fond memories. It’s been very enjoyable and it’s gone crazy fast. To think I've been here four years it’s a bit scary how time flies, time flies when you're having fun and I've had a lot of that here. The first two seasons were amazing, to get promoted to the Prem, it's hard to even think about it now, it’s hard to even put those emotions into words."