Wells wants to finally become Luton's 'talisman' after his 'rude awakening'

Luton forward Nahki Wells is hoping he can finally become the attacking ‘talisman’ that he should have been for the Hatters earlier in the season during the club's run-in to the League One campaign after what he deemed was a ‘rude awakening’ when being dropped from the side recently.

The 35-year-old moved to Kenilworth Road in the summer on a free transfer from Bristol City, leaving the Robins after a campaign in which he reached double figures in the Championship, the 10th time he has done so during a league season in a lengthy career. Expected to fire the goals that would see Town mount a serious assault on promotion this term, it simply hasn’t happened, the Bermuda international scoring just three times in his first 21 outings, also missing twice from the penalty spot.

A long-range attempt against Lincoln City recently appeared to get things going, as scoring against Burton Albion and then Port Vale on Saturday means he has bagged three goals in his last five league starts, also moving up seven for the campaign from 32 appearances when on target in Wednesday night’s 2-1 Vertu Trophy success over Northampton Town.

Discussing his strike at the weekend and what he hopes is a much-needed upturn in form for both himself and the Hatters, Wells said: “It was some lovely football, JJ (Joe Johnson) and Emilio (Lawrence) on the left, some good movement and then a good ball which I was just right place at the right time to get the goal so the exact start that we wanted.

"I’m just very frustrated that we couldn’t go and get a second, it wasn’t through a lack of effort and a lack of will, just a lack of quality in the final third to go and get a second which we didn’t do enough of to get. I’m glad to be playing upfront and getting a run again. It has been a disappointing season in that sense, very disappointing. I couldn’t put my finger on why or what, but I’m just trying to take one game at a time.

"I’m more than confident enough in myself, in my abilities in this team that we can create opportunities for me and I can really be the talisman which I should have been for the first two thirds of the season, from now until the end of the season. That’s the only thing that I can control, is trying to finish as strong as possible as there’s still so much to play for.”

With Jerry Yates and Lasse Nordas both shipped out on loan after struggling for goals as well, there is now some real competition for the striking spots, with Ali Al-Hamadi fit again following his quad injury, Devante Cole signing from Port Vale in the transfer window, and even potentially Elijah Adebayo closing in on a return from his serious knee problem.

It meant Wells dropped to the bench for three games recently, something he admitted definitely rocked him, as having been recalled against Burton and keeping his place ever since, scoring three times in that sequence, knows it will be a battle to stay in the starting XI for the final 12 games of the League One campaign, and Vertu Trophy final too, continuing: “It’s numbers, if I’m not doing it, I won’t get my opportunity. I came out of the side for probably three games and that was a little bit of a rude awakening.

"I got my opportunity in the last league game and was able to score, I’m disappointed that it wasn’t the winner, same again today, but my job is to score and contribute in some aspect to the team. I’m glad the last three games, including midweek (winning a penalty against Plymouth Argyle), I’m having an impact on that, that’s what I need to be doing.”

Asked just how he has managed to turn things around in front of goal, then following his tap-in against the Cobblers in midweek, Wells revealed some serious work undertaken both on and off the pitch with the coaching staff had made a big difference, saying: “It’s always an amazing feeling scoring goals, you never get tired of that. I’m just happy that I’m finding myself in the right place at the right time, as so many times this season the ball has been an inch too far to the left, an inch too far to the right, it’s bobbled off me at times, you have to question the universe and why things happened.

"A few weeks ago I really had to look into probably why. A big credit to the coaching staff, as I really started to look into positions I was picking up, and there were meetings and a session with one of the coaching staff which has really paid dividends. Now it feels like they’re just going to come, so hopefully they can keep rolling in.

“Nigel Pearson, one of my old managers, was big on that. I was in my early 30s and he said to me at the time, ‘trust me Naks, I’ve managed some top, top players and you never stop learning, you can always get better.’ Yes with age, things become a bit more difficult, you start playing against lads who are 15, 20 years younger than you, and it never gets easier, but you can always learn, you can always look into what you’re doing right, what you’re doing wrong.

"I had a real heart-to-heart with one of the coaches, we started looking into things, Bridgo (David Bridges, first team coach), he took the time out to show me a lot of clips and for me I just think I was not selfish enough, trying to do what’s right for the team. As a striker you have to be selfish and my mindset of late has been make sure you’re in the right place consistently, getting between the posts and things will start dropping and thankfully they have been of late.”

It’s not just Wells who has struggled for goals this term, but the Hatters as a collective, particularly on the road, with just 18 managed so far from their 17 games, which included three at both Burton Albion and Stockport. With Town unable to keep their opponents out on their travels since their last victory, that against the latter on November 8, some nine games ago, then discussing the problems after the 1-1 draw with Port Vale at the weekend, the forward added: “I did say that we just have to do more.

"It doesn’t have to be the perfect goal, doesn’t always have to be extremely pretty, we just have to work them more. It has been a bit of our Achilles heel this season, not scoring enough goals and then when we’re not scoring enough goals, we’re not able to keep clean sheets at the minute. It’s not a finger-pointing thing at the defence, it’s us as a whole, us as a collective.

"We know what to expect from a side like this, they’re going to be route one and just some basic elements. We constantly feel like we’re being punished in times that we don’t necessarily warrant it, but that’s football as well, some teams make their luck. They get their goal and we just aren’t able to find it in ourselves to and carve out another really good opportunity which is very frustrating.”