Hatters skipper relishing the competition for his place at Luton

Luton skipper Sonny Bradley knows he faces a battle to keep his place in the Hatters side this term, but the centre half admits he wouldn't have it any other way.

The 29-year-old is one of just two players to start all three of Town's matches this term, along with full back Rhys Norrington-Davies.

Like the rest of this team-mates, Bradley has begun the campaign in fine form too, part of a Town defence breached just the once in 270 minutes of football, carrying on their miserly form from the end of last term, where they kept three clean sheets from their final nine fixtures, staying up on the final day.

That was thanks in no small part to the efforts of Spurs defender Cameron Carter-Vickers who starred during his loan spell at Kenilworth Road.

He has now gone back to Tottenham now, but with the addition of Charlton centre half Tom Lockyer, himself a full Welsh international with 12 caps to his name, Bradley knows he and Matty Pearson have just as big a fight to keep hold of his places.

He said: "We lost Carter-Vickers who went back to Tottenham and even with Cam last season, it was a challenge to keep your shirt.

“Me and Matty (Pearson) know we have to be on it every single game.

"We can’t afford to have a bad game, because there’s real quality pushing us and if we are off it at times, then we’ll be replaced.

“We know that, but that’s the way we want it to be and that’s the way it should be in any team every day in training, how you look after yourself off the pitch and when it comes to a Saturday, you’ve got to be ready.

“As at Championship level, if you’re not quite at it, there’ll be someone ready to take your shirt and that’s the way we want it to be moving forward.

“We look strong, I think everyone knows we haven’t got the biggest squad in the league, probably one of the smallest, but that’s just the way it’s going to be this season.

“What is important is the additions that have been brought into the club are real quality.

"Tom Lockyer who missed out (at Barnsley) only trained with us a couple of times in fairness to Tom and when you’ve got players like that missing out, you know you’ve got a decent squad.”

Bradley showed just how much he is determined to keep hold of his spot with a brilliant display at Oakwell on Saturday, as boss Nathan Jones said: “The boy was outstanding, Matty Pearson was too.

"Everyone to a man worked hard and did their job, as if we had gone to sleep, they have players that can punish you.”

Part of Bradley's remit was to keep former Luton youngster Cauley Woodrow quiet, a feat he managed with real conviction throughout the 90 minutes, as the forward mustered just one shot on target.

He continued: "We knew if we did limit their chances, keep (Connor) Chaplin and Woodrow quiet, stop shots around our box then we can win the game.

"Simon (Sluga) hasn’t had too much to do, hasn’t had too many saves to make, so it gives us the platform we need to go on and win games.

"He’s (Woodrow) a really good player, he’s difficult to play against.

"For us it was about keeping a good line and letting him drop in pockets near the half way line, that’s where he's not as dangerous.

"I don’t think him and Chaplin got the ball enough round our box and that’s where those two players are most dangerous.

"To limit their chances for me and Matty, it's really good and for Simon as well."

The fact that Bradley is now starting his second season as a fully fledged Championship player was something the former Plymouth and Crawley defender was determined to do after winning promotion from League One with the Hatters.

He added: "I’ve worked the last seven or eight years in League Two and League One to try and get to this level, I didn’t want to have just one season in the Championship and go back down, so I was absolutely delighted to stay up.

"There’s a couple of pictures from the last day of last season where I’m almost on my knees, it means that much to me, so it's another chance for us now.

"We're better this season, it’s another chance for us to show that we are real Championship quality.

"On a personal level I’m a Championship player and a Championship captain, and I want to remain that for the foreseeable future."