Improved fitness levels are allowing Luton wingback Doughty to shine in the Premier League

​Luton boss Rob Edwards believes that wingback Alfie Doughty’s improved fitness levels are leading to his starring displays in the Premier League this term.

The 24-year-old has lasted the full 90 minutes in four of his last six top flight appearances, having only been able to play an entire game just four times in his previous 13 outings. It has seen him become a huge threat for the Hatters, with his deadball deliveries moving Luton joint fourth in the highest tier of English football for goals from set-pieces, having netted eight, while he also has five assists to his name as well, the latest coming in the 1-1 draw at Burnley earlier this month, his stoppage time cross headed in by striker Carlton Morris.

A first goal arrived in the 3-2 victory at Sheffield United on Boxing Day too, as with such stats behind him, the former Charlton and Stoke player has to be one of the most talked about players in Luton’s XI when opposition sides are working out how to stop the Hatters now, while there are whispers he should in Gareth Southgate’s mind for an England call too. Asked about his growing influence, Edwards put it down to the work Doughty has done on the training ground to ensure he is able to get through an entire match now, saying: “He’s still a young player, I think he can achieve a lot. He’s showing that he’s at Premier League level. He’s given us a threat from set-pieces, from open play, he can play on either side and he's only going to get better.

"He had a really good season last season, but we were probably having to bring him off in too many games. I want him to be able to complete 100 minutes and I think he's being able to do that as well. His fitness levels are going up, he’s able to reproduce high intensity moments more and more and more. He’s really got up to speed with the league, the level, the speed of the games. We’ve got high hopes for Alfie, he’s done really, really well, but there is still a lot of room for him to grow.

"He’s been consistently performing now for a few months, he’s just got to keep going, keep doing what he’s doing, keep his head down, he doesn’t have to do anything different. He’s performing really well, he’s working hard, there’s always areas that we’ll keep focusing on with him as well, but the big thing for Alfie has been his concentration, his attitude, his running, doing the basics really, really well and valuing those things now. Off the back of that, his set-pieces, his open play crosses, his overall performances are starting to catch the eye now as well which is great.”

Edwards also revealed the wingback is one of the squad always capable of raising a smile during team meetings, adding: “We have a lot of fun with Alfie, he doesn’t really mean to be but he does make me laugh. He’s just being Alfie, he sits on the end there and he’s just an easy one for me to go for. He just laughs about it, but he’s good and he takes a joke well.”