Onyedinma thought his Luton career was over until 'crazy' recall to the Hatters' Premier League squad

Wingback Fred Onyedinma admitted he thought his Luton career was over before a ‘crazy’ recall to the Hatters’ Premier League squad for the trip to Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.

The 27-year-old was a shock inclusion on the teamsheet for the clash with Angle Postecoglou’s side, as he came on for the final 16 minutes of the 2-1 defeat, his first outing in a Town shirt since the play-off final victory over Coventry City in May. Onyedinma was then included in the XI during Luton’s second trip to north London last night, his last starting coming in the 0-0 draw with Hull City last season, playing 55 minutes at the Emirates Stadium until being withdrawn with a quarter of an hour to go for Cauley Woodrow.

It was a complete turnaround for the former Birmingham and Millwall player who was loaned out to Rotherham United in the summer, playing 19 times for the Millers until injury saw his stint at the AESSEAL New York Stadium ended. Onyedinma had been due to exit Kenilworth Road once more in the January transfer window, but that didn’t materialise when he faced to recover in time, as it looked like he might not be able to play anywhere for the rest of the campaign.

However, with captain Tom Lockyer not included in the club’s final 25-man squad following his cardiac arrest against AFC Bournemouth back in December, it left a space free, and with boss Rob Edwards opting against raiding the free agent market, that was given to the winger for the final nine games of the season.

Asked how it came about and whether he thought his chances of playing for the Hatters again had gone, Onyedinma said: “Yes, of course (he felt his Town career was over). I was just thinking, especially when I came back injured, the disappointment for me, so you can imagine how headloss I was. It’s just football, you have to literally keep your head down, you never know what happens.

"You just have to try and be in and around it and then who knows, unfortunately people got injured, but you have to fill in and have to be ready. Initially I was just training with Elliot Thorpe as he was in a similar situation, just to get my fitness back from injury. Then you find out that you're going to be in the squad and then the next thing you know you’re here at Arsenal, unfortunately we lost, but that’s how football is.

“Football’s crazy, I’ve been playing for a while now and you just have to really and truly, keep your head down and just play. You never know what happens, literally, the next two months you could be here, you could be here. I’m grateful I had this opportunity, I’m always going to try and work hard and do my bit for the team.”

Onyedinma hadn’t been given much notice that he was about to be gearing up for life as a top flight player though, as discussing his preparations and how he has found the step up to the highest tier of English football, he continued: “I found out on Thursday. I was still getting back to fitness from my injury, then I found out on Thursday and then I’m starting on Wednesday. That’s what I’m saying, when you get chucked in, we’ve got nothing to lose.

“Training properly, five days, so you just have to pray, just pray. It’s good though, it’s what you expect it to be. You get punished if you make any sort of mistake, but physically, for me I’m quite a physical player. You can see the intensity as well, that’s what you notice, the intensity and the transitions as well. I was trying to do what I can, it’s not going to be easy as they’re going to have the majority of the ball, but any time I can, I see space, I’m going to attack it, so I’ll try to do that.

"I feel like the boys this season, with the games I’ve been watching, even when I was on loan at Rotherham and watching, we’ve been in it, especially at home. There’s been times where we’ve dominated, so credit to the boys and I just have to come in, you know the culture here, I already understand it. So when you come in, you just know exactly what you need to do.”

With Onyedinma out of contract in the summer, then not only can he play his part in the club staying up, but also take the chance to impress any potential new employers if his time in Bedfordshire is indeed up. It is something that will feature in his thought process, as he said: “Of course it’s an opportunity and hopefully I can take it. That’s always going to be at the back of your mind, but at this moment in time, I can’t think about myself. I just have to think about whatever opportunity I get, just try and work hard and do my bit for the team and hopefully Luton can stay up as well.”

Giving his reaction to Onyedinma’s full top flight debut, boss Rob Edwards added: “Fred, bless him, his first start for us in a long, long time, first start in the Premier League, at Arsenal as well, so we’re asking a lot of these players at the moment, but I was really pleased with him.

"He was another one who was teetering on the edge, if we push him too far we could break him, so he had to come off at that stage. He’s not had loads of football at all, he might have been shocked a couple of times with the speed of it and wow (Kai) Havertz got there a bit quickly, but he’s not experienced that. He did some good things as well and I was really pleased with him, he stuck right at his task, it was difficult.”