Ex-Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson backs Luton to stay up and tips Barkley to win Player of the Season

Former Arsenal, Aston Villa and England player Paul Merson believes that Luton midfielder Ross Barkley will be in the running for the prestigious Player of the Season award as he also backed the Hatters to stay in the Premier League this season.

After a tough start to life in their new surroundings, Town are making a wonderful fist of maintaining their top flight status, winning three, drawing two and losing one of their last six fixtures, including hammering Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0, also picking up a point in a wonderful 4-4 draw at Newcastle on Saturday.

There have been many reasons behind Luton’s vast improvement, Alfie Doughty’s set-pieces, Teden Mengi’s defensive excellence and Elijah Adebayo’s finishing touch in front of goal to name just three, but it has been Barkley getting the headlines in recent weeks following some truly magnificent performances in midfield for the Hatters, some fans going as far to say he is the best player they have ever seen wearing the orange shirt.

With three goals and three assists to his name now following the weekend’s outing at St James’ Park, although those stats barely do him justice, such have been the moments of magic he has produced at Kenilworth Road, it has seen the 30-year-old tipped for an England recall next month. It also led Merson, who won 21 caps himself along with the First Division title twice, FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup, to tell Sky Sports: “Ross Barkley is not far off player of the season. He's turned it around. When he went to Chelsea from Everton, I thought it was a good signing.

"But he didn't play in the same way, he played too safe and that wasn't him. He was bought because he can pass and dribble. He's gone back to expressing himself. He's been outstanding. Luton won't go down. They have come up and played like they are - Championship players with an unbelievable attitude. They have not come up and thought they are Premier League players now and tried to play like them, rolling it around at the back. They have been amazing.

“Alfie Doughty is a very good player. The goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski makes good saves. Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo up front are a proper handful. They run the channels and close people down. Albert Sambi Lokonga has done well since he came in.”

Merson also praised the job that boss Rob Edwards has done this term as well, having himself never managed at this level either, adding: “Rob Edwards has been absolutely brilliant but if a job came up now, Vincent Kompany (Burnley chief) would get it before Edwards because he plays the ball around at the back. Edwards has done it the right way. They know they can't come up and pass everyone to death so they mix it up.

"They play at times but they also get the ball forward. Edwards plays the way to get his team out of trouble. It might not look pretty but you've got to stay in the Premier League. Luton make you work for your goals. Kompany's side shoots themselves in the foot every other game, but people will be raving about him because he plays a certain way of football.”