Hatters boss labels Luton's reliable top scorer as a 'manager's dream'

Luton boss Rob Edwards has described striker Carlton Morris as a ‘managers dream’ for his efforts in trying to keep the Hatters in the Premier League this term.

With injuries hitting Town severely this term, Edwards without up to 12 first teamers at one stage of the campaign, the 28-year-old is the only outfield player to have featured in every single top flight game so far, with 29 starts and six outings from the bench. Although goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski naturally tops the minutes played charts having been between the posts for every match, Morris is third in the list for Luton, with 2,597, only behind Alfie Doughty, who has 2,670 despite playing a game less.

Behind the pair are Ross Barkley on 2,493 minutes and Teden Mengi on 2,273, as this comes after another impressive haul of games in the Championship for Morris last term, when he played in 44 out of Town’s 46 matches, plus all three play-off fixtures too. The ex-Norwich youngster has led the line for Town with real quality as well, scoring 10 top flight goals, now up to 30 goals from his 79 league appearances since arriving from Barnsley for a then club record fee in the summer of 2022.

He is also fourth in Premier League for aerial battles won, with 125, possibly going up against the table-topper in Everton defender James Tarkowski this evening, as discussing the forward, Edwards said: “He’s a strong guy Carlton, very resilient, strong minded, tough and a little bit of a throwback as well. I think back to last season in the Championship, he got smashed away at Birmingham and he did his shoulder, did his leg, but there was no way he was never going to not start in the next game.

"He is tough and you need people like that, you need resilience. I suppose you look at the most consistent teams, they’re able to pick the strongest team more consistently than anyone else and to have those players fit and available, it certainly helps. You can always rely on Carlton to be out there and every day in training as well, that’s a manager’s dream.”