Hatters striker had been sceptical about returning to football during coronavirus pandemic

Attacker impressed by safety measures in place at the Brache
Town striker Danny HyltonTown striker Danny Hylton
Town striker Danny Hylton

Hatters striker Danny Hylton admitted he had been sceptical about the prospect of returning to football during the coronavirus pandemic.

With the country on lockdown measures enforced in March, it meant that with the season postponed indefinitely, Town's players, like the rest of general public, were confined to their houses, with the Brache out of bounds.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However, the Government gave the green light for professional sport to resume last month, as Luton's squad returned to training on Monday, May 25.

It wasn't without caution though, as Hylton said: "Early on you’re a bit sceptical and you’re reading and thinking, ‘I don’t want to do that,’ because football’s not important when it comes to a deadly disease.

“I think, since we’ve come back, you realise that it can be done.

"It can be done quite safely, but the risk is still very real, it is still out there and footballers aren’t immune to this disease.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We just have to make sure we stick to the guidelines, be as safe as we can and try to stay free from this virus because it’s not just us at risk.

“We come home and can put our families at risk, and other people at risk.

"So, we’ll make sure we adhere to all the rules and, fingers crossed, everyone stays safe.”

Hylton was quick to praise the club for the stringent safety measures that have been put in place to try and prevent any of the squad testing positive, which has proved successful so far.

He continued: “The club has been fantastic.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"They’ve said, ‘anybody that doesn’t feel safe, you’re not going to be judged, there’s going to be nothing against you.

"'If you don’t feel safe to come back and play, you stay at home and you do what you feel is right in these times.'

"This is bigger than football. It’s a deadly disease which is real and is killing people, so the boys have been fantastic.

"They’ve come back in, the longer training has gone on and the longer the days and weeks have gone on, you stick to the rules, we get tested every couple of days, so you know if you’ve got it and are at risk.

"We stick to social distancing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"You’re not allowed in buildings, there’s a one-way system around the buildings and we wash our hands.

"So, we’re doing everything we can so we don’t get this disease and we take it very seriously.”

With returning boss Nathan Jones taking the sessions now, after he replaced Graeme Jones, who had his contract terminated in April, then giving an insight into how Town have been training, Hylton said: "We came back and we started in small groups of five.

"We had different times we could come in, it was okay.

"I wasn’t sure how it would be, but you could get a decent amount of work done, could do some decent sessions while sticking to all the laws and the regulations.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The last week or so we’ve been back in full training, trying to keep a social distance when you’re not on the training pitch, but when you’re on the training pitch you’re allowed full contact.

"We had an 11 v 11 at the ground and it’s been good, it’s been sharp and the lads are looking good."

Holding the players back ahead of their first game against Preston North End on June 20 has now been the task of Town's coaching staff, as Hylton added: "To be fair we’re like little kids, we’ve been away from it for so long, you put us on a football pitch and everyone’s running around.

"They’re having to control us from doing too much.

"With GPS and what sport scientists are like now, with managing loads, I think a few of the lads were a little bit higher than what they would have liked.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"But it's not like pre-season when you’ve got five or six weeks to get up to speed and then ahead of your first league game, we’ve only got two or three this time.

"The lads are running round, they look fresh and sharp and the lads are looking ready to go."