'Top level characters' drew Hatters boss back to Kenilworth Road again

Working with ‘top level characters’ once more was one of the main reasons that Nathan Jones decided to return to Kenilworth Road for a second spell in charge last month.

The Welshman was appointed on May 28 to replace Graeme Jones, after he left Town at the start of the coronavirus pandemic to reduce the cost base.

Jones, who had been out of work since November 2019 when sacked by Stoke, the club he departed Luton for, was desperate to link up with his former squad, a squad that he had helped put together during his three years at the helm.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, he said: “You have to manage different characters, as people say, ‘but you worked in League Two, with League Two players.’

“I worked with international players at Brighton, I loved working with a top level player, it’s just what I enjoy doing better than anything is working with a top level character.

“What we did at Luton was we managed to recruit every single human being who was hungry, wanted to get the best out of their career, their life, every single thing and they would do anything to get there.

“We had that environment, and that’s why we did so well at that time.

“If I’m honest, it’s strange and one of the main reasons I came back was I had a unique bond with these players.

“It wasn’t just I signed them and they played for me, we invested in them every single day and metaphorically, they would die for me this group.

“That’s the big thing and that’s why I wanted to come back. I believed there’s unfinished business here and it’s not just now, it's long term.

“I’ve signed a long term contract. It’s not ‘he’s the best manager to try and keep us up,’ or ‘he’s the best man to get us through this crisis.’

“Those are the immediate short term goals, but there are medium term goals and then we are reverting back to the long term goal of this club.

“I veered from that, that was my selfish ambition if you like, but I’m back and I want to be here for a long time.”

Jones also reiterated the squad at Luton have now got an even better manager leading them following his tough time at Stoke, sacked after just six wins from 38 games.

He added: “I’ve been very conscientious and been writing a journal, it’s been a wonderful learning year.

“I’m really disappointed that I didn’t do the work at Stoke that I did at Luton, as that’s what I believed we could do.

“I was given enough time, I had great owners, a lot of good people around the club, it’s just a lot tougher job than I envisaged.

“I went in, tried to do exactly the same thing I did at Luton in terms of changing the environment, changing the culture, because it needed that change.

"But I actually, not forgot, but didn’t place enough emphasis on getting results.

“If I just got results, I would have had enough time, but it was still a massive learning curve, but a great learning curve and I’m a better manager now than I was when I went to Stoke.

"I’m not saying it's been a wonderful year for me, because it hasn’t, it’s been tough and I’m sorry I didn’t do that work and get Stoke to the place I felt I could.

"But for me, I’m in a far better place in all aspects of my career now."