Luton midfielder Clark hasn't come to terms with Wembley goal and play-off victory just yet

​​Town midfielder Jordan Clark admitted he still hasn’t really come to terms with scoring for the Hatters and becoming a Premier League player following Luton’s Championship play-off final victory over Coventry City on Saturday.

The 29-year-old was named in the starting line-up as boss Rob Edwards unsurprisingly went with the same XI who had dominated Sunderland in the second leg at Kenilworth Road, with Town settling well in front of 85,000 at the home of English football.

Rocked by influential defender Tom Lockyer having to be stretchered off after collapsing on the pitch inside the opening 10 minutes, the Hatters' players didn't outwardly let it show it had affected them, setting about their opponents with gusto.

Carlton Morris missed a great chance, before on 23 minutes, Elijah Adebayo set off to collect Alfie Doughty’s searching pass, twisting Kyle McFadzean inside and out.

He looked to find a team-mate arriving on the edge of the box, Clark taking a wonderful first touch on his right foot, before an even better one with his left, burying a drive beyond Sky Blues keeper Ben Wilson.

It saw him become the ninth player to score for Luton at Wembley as the midfielder said: “I still haven’t processed it to be honest, it still hasn’t sunk in, it’s just surreal.

"This group of lads are the best group of lads I’ve ever been with, just so, so proud to be a part of this team.”

With Coventry levelling in the second period, the game then went to penalties, as Clark stepped up fourth for Luton, making no mistake, as neither did any of the Hatters’ first six takers.

In the end it was City's Fankaty Dabo who had to be the fall guy, skying his effort from 12 yards, sparking scenes of sheer disbelief for the Hatters’ players and supporters.

Clark continued: "So many emotions, scoring first and I thought ‘this is going to be our day, this is going to be our day.’

“My dad said to top it off and be the player of the match would be amazing, but just to win would be enough.

"Then Locks went down and everyone’s thinking ‘what’s up, what’s happened to him?’

"It's scary, but the message at half time was just to do it for him.

"He's been our leader this year, him and Sonny (Bradley) and probably our best player, him and Carlton (Morris) have been our two best players.

"We didn't play well the second half, then obviously they scored, but they're a good side, we knew they were going to have a little spell.

"Then extra time, everyone’s cramping up, to be fair I felt unbelievable, the best I've ever felt, and the last five minutes, my hamstrings cramped up.

"I tried to take someone on and it was like someone shot me in the leg!

“Then it was just about penalties, it was another bit of the rollercoaster, it was like being at Alton Towers!”

Although the nerves of the Hatters’ players who stepped up from the spot would have been jangling, they were able to just run through what they had been doing constantly in training, to ensure all six efforts found the net, without a slither of fortune involved.

Clark continued: “That's not luck that, we've worked on that for three weeks.

"Everything, breathing, positioning on the pitch, when you’re walking up to the spot, everything.

"The gaffer, Trolls, Richie, Pete, Dunny, Pilks, and Kev Dearden, it’s not luck, that has been worked on for three, four weeks, and you could see with the penalties, every penalty was quality.

“It was like it was written.

"We won the toss to kick at our end, we got the first penalty which we wanted, everything just seemed to flow into place and I'm just so happy for this football club.”

Like Luton's rise to the top flight, the Barnsley-born midfielder has also done it the hard way, as after starting out with his home club, he did the rounds of lower league clubs, playing for Chesterfield, Scunthorpe, Hyde, Shrewsbury and Accrington, before moving to Kenilworth Road in the summer of 2020.

Trying to put into words just what it means, a clearly emotional Clark said: “I was so happy, I was running, my hammies were cramping up, I think it was Elliot Plant, the S&C (strength and conditioning) guy, he picked me up and I just burst into my tears.

"I was thinking of my journey here, this is no disrespect, but I was playing for Hyde at the bottom of the Conference in 2012, 11 years ago.

"League Two, League One, Championship and now, it's just such hard work and my family, who have been unbelievable, my girlfriend who basically left her life to follow mine, my little boy who was here today, I’m just trying to let it sink in.

“That’s why we started out as a kid, you always had a dream to play in the Premier League and a lot of the lads here, same as me, have been through the lower leagues.

“They’ve worked their balls off to be here, and I think it means a lot more to you when you’ve been down in the lower leagues and you’ve grafted, grafted, grafted and then we’ve got to a position.

"Last year we fell short, this year we improved again and then so, so pleased for everyone, especially everyone at the club.

"This is my third season now and like I said when I signed my new deal, it’s just on the up, why would you want to go anywhere else?”

Clark was also eager to heap praise on the tight-knit group that has been assembled by Luton, saying: “Everyone deserves it, the sports science guys and the masseurs who have been fans for 30, 40 years.

“I've been in the lower leagues and there have been some top groups and top lads, but this group of lads, it's a joy to come in every day to work.

"Everyone enjoys coming in, the banter, but even when we cross the white line in training, the standards are so high.

"We play as if it’s a game, you can see the substitutions that came on.

"Reece Burke came on, and what a hard game to come into, but he was unbelievable, against one of the best strikers in the league (Viktor Gyokeres), who will probably go to the Premier League as well.”

Finally, on Kenilworth Road and Hatters fans now being back in the top flight once more, Clark added: “They’re amazing, Kenilworth Road isn’t the biggest, but when you play there, Vincent Kompany (Burnley boss) said it, it’s the best.

"They’ve been the best team in the Championship this year and he said it was the best.

"You just don’t get any time on the ball, the fans are after you, and it’s an unbelievable place to play and I can’t wait to play there next year.”