Naismith 'ready to go' as he can't wait to play in front of Luton's fans at the Kenny again

Recent Luton signing Kal Naismith can’t wait to step out on the Kenilworth Road surface once more when he makes his second home debut for the Hatters against Sheffield United this afternoon.

The 32-year-old last did so back in May 2022 for a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town in the Luton’s Championship play-off semi-final first leg, as they went on to suffer a 1-0 loss in the second leg, meaning they were defeated 2-1 on aggregate, going on to have another campaign in the second tier which ultimately did lead to promotion to the Premier League.

Having played 68 times, Naismith was a huge favourite among Town fans, named Player of the Season after a campaign in which he contributed to some truly memorable moments, most notably scoring a wonderful last-gasp winner during the 3-2 victory over AFC Bournemouth. Having left in the summer to head to Bristol City, the defender returned to Bedfordshire in the January transfer window and has made two substitute outings to date, coming on in the 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday and 2-0 defeat to Sunderland.

On getting his chance to play in front of the Hatters supporters again today, Naismith said: “Everything happens for a reason. I left this club, I loved being here and I’ve never been so happy, honestly, to be back here. It just feels right and I just can’t wait to go and play at the Kenny again and be in front of the fans and try and really get them behind us.

“I’m really excited to get back there and just hear it again and feel it, but we need to start fast. We need to be aggressive, we need to give them something to get behind and I know they’ll be right there as in the tough times they will. We had incredible times in the past journey, the club’s been incredible. It’s a tough moment, but that’s when you see what people are really there and I know the fans will be behind us.”

Although Naismith has struggled with injuries during his time at Ashton Gate, playing just 22 times for the Robins in the last two seasons, he feels now ready to get going from the start if called upon, after a lengthy block of training ahead of the 2-0 defeat in Wearside on Wednesday evening, as he continued: “I’m feeling a lot better. The manager’s been brilliant with me, he’s been chatting with me the whole time and I just want to be in the best position possible that when I’m needed by the club I can help.

"I feel like I’m really getting there now, I’m feeling like myself. I just did a great block, 10 days training with the boys, getting to know them, working hard in training and then I’ve had really valuable minutes which I think will stand me in good stead. So whenever my team-mates need me, the manager needs me I’m there and ready to go. I’m feeling strong, I’m feeling good and I’m just ready to go now, I’m really excited to get out there and help the lads when I’m needed.”

On whether Naismith could find himself starting against the Blades at 3pm, boss Matt Bloomfield said: “I think we’ve got to be careful with Kal as he’s not played loads and loads of football. It was important that we get him on the pitch on Wednesday evening. It’s important we start building him up because he’s been brought in for a reason. He’s got good qualities, a great left foot, fantastic leadership skills and someone who’s played a big part in the club’s past and we hope that he can contribute in a big way between now and the end of the season. He’s secure in possession and we’re really, really pleased to have him here with us.”

Town will go into the match as severe underdogs, as despite both teams being in the top flight when they last met, Chris Wilder’s side have shown just how it should be done this term, winning 21 from 32 matches to sit second in the table, battling Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland for the automatic promotion spots. Despite that, Naismith believes Town should go into the contest with a real belief, adding: “It is tough, it is really tough, I’ve got a massive amount of respect for Sheffield United.

"They’re a top side, but so are we and they’re coming to our home pitch. We’ll have our fans behind us and we’re not looking at it going, ‘everybody’s better than us,’ it’s the Championship and anyone can beat anyone. We’ve got to go into the game knowing it’s going to be an incredibly tough game. They’re an unbelievable side but they need to know it’s going to be a tough game against us as well, we need to bring that, so that’s what we’re looking to do.”