Walsh happy to be on target for Luton as he talks up importance of Spanish trip

​Hatters midfielder Liam Walsh insisted that the club’s pre-season training camp out in Spain last week has put the squad in a great place to attack the upcoming League One campaign.

​Boss Jack Wilshere moved away from Town’s regular destination over the past few years, which had seen the club head out to Slovenia, to take his team to Murcia instead, where they were put through their paces in what was a gruelling few days, culminating in a 2-0 victory over Saudi Pro League side Al Kholood on Saturday.

Discussing the valuable time spent with his team-mates, and the fitness they have all gained, Walsh told the club’s official website: “It’s been tough. It started off a joke with the six o'clock morning running a circuit, but you come to this place and you know how hard it is. Once you get through something like this and you go back home it makes it a lot easier.

"All the lads and all the staff have put 110 per cent in every session and I think it showed finishing the week off with a 2-0 win. It's always a tough test coming out here and playing in these conditions, but I think we made it as best suited to us as much as we could. We got off to a good start, created a few chances and got a goal and I'm just made up myself that it was me. We played a good side and it leaves us in good stead for the next few weeks."

During the first half it was Walsh, who opened his account for the Hatters last term when scoring against Northampton Town in the Vertu Trophy, going on to net a second shortly afterwards against the same opposition in the league too, who broke the deadlock when his shot from 25 yards deceived keeper Muhannad Al-Yahya and hit the net.

Discussing his opening strike of the pre-season campaign, the former Everton youngster, who signed a new contract at Kenilworth Road this summer, continued: “For me more than anything I just want to hit the target really, especially when there’s bodies there in front of me. We say to each other about hitting the target, it's going to give you the best chance of scoring. That's the thought that was going through my head and I’m happy to get the goal.”

At times it was anything but a friendly, with the odd skirmish breaking out between the two sets of players on the pitch, but it something Walsh had no issue in witnessing from either side, as he added: “It’s never a friendly, especially in our case. We want to win the game no matter what and we want to put a foot on the game. I think they knew that early and tried to come back with a bit as well, but all over the park we won all of our battles and ultimately that’s what wins you the game. We knew that on the pitch we had them where we wanted and we did well.”