Luton defender Potts glad to be back in the Town side after an ‘up and down’ season

Town defender Dan Potts is glad to be back in the side once more after what he admitted has been a mixed year personally due to a lack of first team action with the Hatters.

The 27-year-old, who is Luton’s second longest serving player behind Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, was starting his second game in a row at Hull City on Saturday following Wednesday night’s 4-0 win over Preston, the first time he has done so in over a year.

It was only the fifth match he has been included from the opening whistle this term too due to Kal Naismith and Amari’i Bell having excellent seasons in the former West Ham youngster’s two favoured positions of left centre half and wing-back.

With Naismith injured, Potts was back and following a solid defensive display at the MKM Stadium, Luton running out comfortable 3-1 winners, he said: “It’s been a real up and down year.

“I had injuries at the start of the year as well, but there’s no better feeling than coming in after a game, winning and being part of it, being on from the start, playing and you win.

“Nothing matches that feeling, but you never get too low, never get too high.

“We’ll enjoy this week, relax and come in ready to go for a big eight games.”

With Town doing superbly this term, up into third place following the weekend victory and leading the way in terms of clean sheets with Sheffield United, Potts knows there was little he could complain about to boss Nathan Jones either, continuing: “When the team is doing well there isn’t much you can say.

“It happens in football, all clubs will have players that are not playing or players that can come in.

“The manager said in the week, ‘you’re only as strong as your weakest player,’ and it just goes to show.

“Lads have come in, put a shift in, we’re still getting results, nothing changes, it’s good signs.

“It’s a great group, it really is a great group.

“There’s lads left out of the squad, I’ve been left out of the squad, you never get too low, never get too high, which is such a good thing, especially for me.

“It goes through the squad as well, there’s no bad eggs, you can see it on the pitch, as everyone’s running their absolute socks off for everyone.

“It might not be the prettiest at times, we’d probably like to a little bit more fluent, but we’re getting results, we’re getting wins.

“We’re coming to places, we’re doing what we have to do to be where we are, and really happy.

“That’s why we’ve got a big squad though. If we didn’t have the squad we have, we would be able to put in performances like that and wouldn’t be able to put a team out, so it’s one of those things.”

After an exhausting schedule of 18 games in 64 days, Town now have a welcome few days off until next in action on April 2 due to the international break.

Having won his place back in the side, it has come at just the wrong time for Potts, but he knows the squad will benefit from it, saying: “I don’t feel like I need it, but I know some lads down there, you can see, everyone’s buzzing, but their energy levels needs restoring.

“So for the good of the group it’s probably needed and see where we are when we come back.”