Jones insists Wales international Lockyer has earned his trust following summer move from Charlton

Luton defender Tom Lockyer is benefiting from earning the trust of manager Nathan Jones after yet another sterling display during Saturday's 1-0 win at Birmingham City.

The 26-year-old had a tough start to life at Kenilworth Road following his summer move from Charlton Athletic, not making a league appearance until October 24, when he started the 1-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday.

He then played the next two games, but was out of the side once more after a 3-0 defeat to Brentford, with just two substitute outings in the next five matches, until being recalled to face Norwich on December 2.

A 3-1 win over the Canaries has seen Lockyer retain his place ever since, going on to start the last 14 Championship matches in a row, helping Luton keep five clean sheets in that time.

Jones had spoken before about his players needing to earn his trust when they arrive at the club, and whether the Wales international has that now, he said: “Of course, that is why he plays week-in, week-out at the moment.

“Trust comes with time spent, it is not just seeing someone, because they have to come into your environment, adjust to your way of playing.

“He hadn’t had a great pre-season to be honest because it was always on the cards that he was going to exit Charlton, so he didn’t play too much in Charlton’s plans because they were planning on being without him.

“It was a very difficult time for him and (James) Bree, for him to come in and he had to bide his time and be patient, he didn’t like that but he had to be.

“When we did come in, he did do well and he’s retained his place so we are very pleased.”

Lockyer is forming an impressive central defensive partnership with Sonny Bradley recently, the two having played 12 matches together now, with Luton conceding just nine goals in the process.

On the duo, Jones continued: “They’ve got good competition in those areas, Matty Pearson can play there, (Martin) Cranie we’ve got there who’s back fit now, so we've got a lot of options.

“We recruited Tom because he fitted our bill, he’s front-footed, a great character, wants to play, wants to either stay at this level or get to the next level, or do very well at this level which keeps him as an international, so there's real hunger there.

"He suits what we do and he’s done very well.

"He had to bide his time a little bit to get in, but that was to do a lot with pre-season, but we’re delighted with his progress and happy that he’s ours.”

In the last three matches, Pearson and Dan Potts have been either side of the duo in the absence of James Bree, plus Rhys Norrington-Davies' loan switch to Stoke City.

Asked if that had impacted Town's ability for their full backs to really attack down the flanks, Jones said: “I don’t think it affects us going forward, but they’re different types of people.

"We’ve always wanted to be front-footed, but Bree’s been injured, he’s back now, but that has limited that and then Norrington-Davies decided that Stoke was a better place than this.

"We’re still evolving as a Championship side, we want real attacking full backs, we’ve always played that way and we try to recruit that way.

"But when that’s not available to us then we have to make sure we have other solutions and we’ve proved that as we’re very competitive in every game.

"We want to be a little bit more fluent and a little bit more potent in the final third and that’s the thing now that we probably will be working most on."

One thing that hasn't changed about Luton though is their defensive solidity this term, as the clean sheet at Birmingham on Saturday was a ninth of the season.

With just 29 conceded, it means the Hatters have the joint sixth best record with Derby County for goals against, as Jones added: "I think defensively we’ve been excellent, I really, really do, when you think of who we've been coming up against.

"Brentford, although they’re coming off the back of a defeat yesterday, they very rarely are blunt.

"Even stemming back from them, to Bournemouth, to Blackburn, hardly had a chance in the game, Huddersfield hardly had a chance in the game and Birmingham didn't have a chance in the game.

"It shows that defensive we’ve been very, very good, so we knew that if we did that and we could just be a little bit more potent attacking-wise then we’d win the game.

"We should have scored more, watching the game back, we’ve had a couple of real, real good chances, but the only thing you remember is three points and that was much needed.

"Not because of any precious position, but just to galvanise things, to think, look we’re looking up, not down and that kind of reiterated that, so it was a real important three points."