Shea insists Luton should be looking to win Vertu Trophy

Luton keeper James Shea insists the Hatters should be doing all they can to try and earn a day out at Wembley later this year and also add the Vertu Trophy to their trophy cabinet.

Having topped a group containing Cambridge United, Barnet and Brighton & Hove Albion U21s, earning six points from their three matches, then Jack Wilshere’s side swept aside Exeter City 4-0 in their last 32 contest at Kenilworth Road in December, Lasse Nordas, who has since gone to SC Heerenveen scoring twice, Shayden Morris and Zack Nelson also on target

It earned them a round of 16 tie with League Two high-fliers Swindon Town this evening, the Robins having finished at the summit of their group which was made up of Reading, MK Dons and West Ham U21s, then knocking Peterborough United out 1-0 on home soil in December. Ian Holloway’s visitors won't be a pushover either, as the Wiltshire club are currently second in the table, five points behind leaders Bromley as they look well set for a promotion challenge back to the third tier this term.

With just two more rounds to go until the final, which is held at the home of English football on April 12, Shea, who has played in all four matches so far, keeping one clean sheet, that against Exeter, said: “It’s a big competition. It’s one we should be looking at and thinking we should do well in this, as the amount of players we’ve got, the squad we’ve got, I think it’s a great opportunity for the boys who aren’t getting as many minutes at the moment.

"We used it against Exeter to show what we’re all about, it was 11 changes and it was great to go and show what we did. It’s all about attitude, as we went into the game with the right attitude and it showed to win 4-0. It’s a great opportunity, one, to get to Wembley, get a game at Wembley, and two, to try and win it.”

Meanwhile, Shea, who has played 117 matches for the club since joining way back in the summer of 2017, is not only ever-present in the competition this year for Town, he was also handed the captain’s armband for the first time in his career by his former Arsenal U18s team-mate Jack Wilshere as well.

On the honour of being named skipper, he added: “The Brighton game was the first one and the gaffer came to me the day before and said you’re skipper tomorrow. I was like ‘all right,’ and then it hit me, I thought, I’ve never been captain in my life, what do I do? But it was a great honour and one to put the shirt on, two to put the captain’s armband on, I loved every single minute of it.”

» Luton have announced that tickets will cost just £5 for adults and £1 for those aged 16 and under for the clash with Swindon.

A statement on the club’s website said: “Tickets are now on sale as Football for a Fiver returns for the Hatters’ Vertu Trophy Round of 16 tie against Swindon Town at Kenilworth Road. As has been the case for the three home games in the competition so far, admission for the fixture is being priced to encourage as many families to attend, with kids in for a quid for the earlier-than-usual kick-off time of 7pm. This fixture will be reserved seats initially in the Main Enclosure and Main Stand A to E. Tickets can be booked online, by phone or in person during advertised opening hours.”