Luton striker Adebayo admits a first spell out of the Hatters XI has been a test of his character

Striker Elijah Adebayo admitted that a first prolonged spell out of the Hatters XI during his two-and-a-half years at Luton has been a real test of his character.

The 25-year-old had been used to being a regular in the starting line-up after moving to Kenilworth Road from Walsall back in February 2021, as since making his full debut against Millwall later that month, he has gone on to start 96 league matches, with just 10 outings off the bench.

In the 2021-22 campaign, Adebayo began 38 games, coming on three times, while last term saw him start 42 fixtures, brought on a further three times.

With Luton now in the Premier League, the forward started the first three matches alongside Carlton Morris, but with Town beaten on all three occasions, conceding too many goals and big chances for manager Rob Edwards’ liking, the boss opted to alter his formation, going for just one upfront, that being top scorer Morris.

It has seen Adebayo drop to the bench, still making four appearances though, but only totalling 56 minutes, the longest when given half an hour in the 2-1 defeat to Burnley, where he managed to open his account for the season with a smart swivel finish from close range.

That earned him a recall for the 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the international break, and on his time out of the side, he said: “I’m used to playing week in week out, so this is a test for not only my character but there’s a few players as it’s not only me who has been in and out.

"You've just got to work hard during the week to make sure the gaffer can rely on you and trust you to pick you come Saturday and that’s not going to be easy.

“Competition in the squad is tough, everyone wants to play, everyone wants to play Premier League minutes, it’s a fantastic opportunity for everyone.

"For me it's just carrying on working hard and keep proving to the gaffer that I can play.”

Adebayo also wants to get the chance to be on the pitch and reward Town’s supporters too, who have given their players magnificent receptions after every top flight match so far this term whatever the result.

He added: “The fans have been fantastic, from the Brighton game to now, they’ve been with us all the way.

“Earlier in the season we lost 4-1 and then 3-0 to Chelsea, they’re always there singing and we want to start giving them some points to start cheering about.

"We can never ever fault their commitment, they’re our 12th man and they keep pushing us on so it’s fantastic support.”