On-loan Ipswich striker believes he and Luton could be the 'perfect match'

​New Town striker Ali Al-Hamadi believes that he and the Hatters can be the ‘perfect match’ for each other after agreeing a deadline day switch from Championship outfit Ipswich Town on Monday.

The 23-year-old moved to Kenilworth Road on a season-long loan deal, with Luton having an obligation to purchase if certain criteria are met, something that Hatters chief Matt Bloomfield is clearly hopeful for after spending most of the summer transfer window pursuing the Iraq international. Having worked with the Town manager previously when the pair were at Wycombe Wanderers as players back in November 2021, then speaking to the club’s official website, it was clearly a deal the forward feels has come about just at the right time for both him and Luton as well for that matter.

He said: “I’m buzzing. I’ve heard so many good things about the football club, it's a perfect match in terms of what the club is all about and matches what I’m about as a player. I think I need someone like Luton at the moment and maybe they need someone like me, so I feel like it’s really, really exciting. As a player what I’ve learned as I’ve got a little bit older now is you need to go somewhere where you feel the love from the manager, from the fans, to get the best out of yourself as a footballer, it's just human nature.

"When a club really pushes for you as much as Luton have, I know the manager really well and it was just about getting it done. I was probably hard work for him to be honest over the last couple of weeks. We’re just such similar types of people, we're both striving for excellence and hopefully getting this club back to where it needs to be. No person is bigger than a football club, but Matt’s a great, great guy. He was my captain at Wycombe the year he came out of the game and we used to have so many honest chats and deep chats. He helped me a lot as a young player and I still think he can take my game to the next level.”

Having been such a prolific striker during his time at AFC Wimbledon, scoring 27 goals in 47 outings for the League Two Dons, Al-Hamadi has struggled somewhat since leaving for Ipswich in January 2024. With the Tractor Boys immediately winning promotion to the Premier League during his first six months with the Tractor Boys, it saw him score just five times in 29 appearances, although only four of those matches were from the starting whistle. He also netted twice in 15 matches when on loan at Stoke at the end of last season, meaning he has only been on target seven times in his last 46 fixtures.

It led to him receiving some stick from certain sections of supporters for the first time in his career while at Portman Road, but he remains hopeful, and extremely confident of improving those stats under Bloomfield at Kenilworth Road, as he continued: “It’s quite a unique journey, not many players went from League Two to the Championship anyway and then to get promoted to the Premier League in the same season, this has all happened in the last 18 months.

"My career has been exciting, it’s been full of challenges and things to adapt to and learn, it’s part of why I love football and part of why I love doing this for a living. Even the downs and the challenging times are really important, so my journey is quite unique and I’m really excited for this part of it. Sometimes in football you’re just at the right place at the right time. There’s so many examples of really good football players, who maybe didn’t work out at one place, go to the next pace and flourish and vice versa.

"At Wimbledon it was probably a similar dynamic. I had a manager who really valued me and trusted me in Johnnie Jackson and I really, really connected with the fans. They saw what I was about as a player and as a person and I think no football club that I’ve ever played for can argue with the fact that I’m fully immersed in whatever football club I’m playing for so I think that’s what the fans can expect. I don’t like to be robotic in interviews, it was quite a challenging year for me in Ipswich. I came under some criticism and probably stuff that I’ve never had to deal with in my career.

"Whether some of it’s justified or not, fans have got their own opinions on things. I love Ipswich as a football club, they’ve helped me achieve my dream of getting to the Premier League, Kieran McKenna (manager) has been unbelievable for my career and so has everyone behind the scenes. The changes haven’t really helped me in that sense as I’ve been involved in a lot of change, but I’ve got a good feeling about what we can do here this season and I’m excited to get going.”

With the Al-Hamadi acquisition one that Hatters fans were desperate to see as the clock ticked towards 7pm on deadline day, then asked just what the Luton supporters will get to see from their new forward, he added: “I’m a very passionate player, wear my heart on my sleeve. I’m fast, dynamic, I like to score goals and just be fun and exciting to watch.

"I’d say over the last period at Ipswich I probably developed another side of my game, trying to link the play and get involved in the build up a bit more. I’d like to say I’m coming into being a well-rounded forward but definitely my strengths are my speed, power and scoring goals. I feel like with a bit of stability and a fresh start and a fresh challenge here, hopefully I can get back to scoring goals and helping my team win football games as that's what I’m here to do.”