Jones: It's some week to be a Luton player with Derby, Manchester United and Watford coming up

Luton boss Nathan Jones has insisted it’s some week to be a Luton Town player.

The Hatters start a three game period against Derby County at Kenilworth Road this afternoon, the Rams a top flight club just 12 years go, with England and Manchester United record goalscorer Wayne Rooney in their ranks.

They then host Rooney’s former Red Devils side in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday night in front of the Sky Sports cameras, before the biggest game of the three, a long-awaited trip to arch rivals Watford on Saturday, Town's first visit to Vicarage Road since April 2006.

It was only just around seven seasons ago, when a three game week for Luton included a Blue Square Bet Premier home match with Barrow, before hosting Skelmersdale United in the FA Trophy and then heading to AFC Telford United the following weekend.

However, those times seem like a lifetime ago now, as Jones said: “We’ve said to the players that we never look too far ahead but these are the games you want to play.

“Derby have been a Premier League club, then next we play Man United and then we play Watford.

"Three huge games but what a week, what a week to be a Luton Town player and test yourself.

"Whether that’s against Wayne Rooney, Jack Marriott, Matt Clarke, whoever it is, to have those tests is what you want.

"This is why we wanted to get to this league so we could do that before trying to go again.

“We’re solely concentrating on them (Derby) but when you look at it, in terms of the hunger and whetting the appetite, we’ve got to set ourselves up now for another massive week.

"It’s relentless, great, great games, great tests and one that if we get positives results in all, it will be a phenomenal week for the club.”

Town go into the match on a three game winning streak this season, five in total if you include their two victories over Hull and Blackburn Rovers at the back end of the previous campaign.

Jones wants that to become a regular feeling at Kenilworth Road now, adding: "I knew I’d get a good attitude as that’s the group we’ve got, that’s why I came back to the football club, to work with a group of players that really want to do well.

“The group want to win games, want to keep momentum, because winning can become a habit.

"Losing can become a habit as I found at my previous club (Stoke City), without doing too much different, but we’ve got a group here that want to do well.”