World Cup bound Al-Hamadi fully focused on getting Luton to the play-offs

Striker Ali Al-Hamadi insists he is fully committed to helping the Hatters in their attempts to reach the League One play-offs this season, despite the carrot of a trip to the World Cup Finals dangling over him at the end of the season.

The 24-year-old, who has had a stop-start campaign since arriving at Kenilworth Road from Ipswich Town on the final day of the summer transfer window due to a number of injuries, travelled to Mexico with the Lions of Mesopotamia to face Bolivia in their play-off final earlier this month, scoring his fifth goal for his country in what was a 2-1 success that saw them reach their first World Cup Finals since 1986.

Town now have just six games of the season remaining for Luton, including the Vertu Trophy Final against Stockport on Sunday, although it is hoped they will play nine times in total, heading back to the third tier at the first attempt via the play-offs next month. Some might have thought that Al-Hamadi would now drop down the gears to avoid picking up an injury that could affect his chances of playing in his first major tournament, but he firmly denied that would be the case,

Having finally opened his account in the 3-0 win over AFC Wimbledon on Easter Monday, the forward said: “To be honest I just want to get into the play-offs and help the team get promoted, that’s my goal. That will obviously help me as well with my country, but my focus is on Luton Town. My head is here, I’m focused, I want to have a really good end to the season and there’s everything to play for still.

"I’m really looking forward to the next few weeks. We’ve just got to take it a game at a time and not get too far ahead of ourselves. We played brilliant out there (against the Dons), I think that’s the best I’ve seen us all season. We’ve just got to keep taking it game by game and keep a level head and hopefully the work we’ll put in will come to fruition.”

Although Al-Hamadi isn’t thinking about the trip to the USA and Canada just yet, Iraq taking their place in Group I along with France, Senegal and Norway for now, just knowing that he played a part in ending his country’s 40-year wait to qualify will always be incredibly special for a player who was born in Maysan, before moving to Liverpool during the early stages of the Iraq War in 2003 at the age of one.

He continued: “Honestly it’s just what you dream of as a kid, sending your country to the World Cup and playing a part. It just gives me goosebumps every time i remember that moment, that will live me forever and live in the hearts of Iraqi people forever. My family, and just the story of how my family came here, it’s magical and it’s why we play football. I’m very fortunate to have that moment with my family and my people and my team-mates as well.”

Luton manager Jack Wilshere, who gave Al-Hamadi the nod over January transfer window signing Devante Cole at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, bringing him on for his 10th outing after an early injury to Nahki Wells, certainly doesn’t think there will be any drop-off from his striker either, as having played in the 2014 World Cup staged in Brazil, knows just what standards have to be reached in order to impress at a major tournament. He said: “Knowing him and his mindset, he won’t think that.

"He’ll try to look after himself as he hasn’t played the football he’s wanted this season. I can tell him and I have told him from my experience of playing at a World Cup that is the top, top level and you have to be fit, you have to be sharp, you have to have confident going into it. I know him, I know his mindset and I know how desperate he is to try and help us as a team. He did that today so I’m happy for him and know he needs to keep that going.”

Team-mate Kasey Palmer, who bagged the first goal on the day himself, was also pleased to see the forward up and running as well, stating: “I think momentum-wise it’s perfect, going into the last five or six games, for him to get a goal for his confidence. He works hard in training, it’s been tough for him. Since I’ve been here he’s broken down with a few injuries, so he’s not really got going. You think today with the goal, hopefully it can kickstart, obviously it’s late in the season, but it can give him a bit of momentum to kick on.”

Wilshere is also hoping that Al-Hamadi’s maiden strike can boost Town’s striking department that has been severely lacking this term, Wells the leading marksmen of those attackers having been on target just four times in the league. He said: “He’s been unlucky and probably a lot of that has been unfortunate as well. We signed him injured, it took probably a little bit longer than he expected to come back fit. Then he went away with Iraq and got injured again unfortunately, which again was longer than we expected.

"It’s hard for a player to find their rhythm and sometimes it takes that going away from the environment, having a little bit of joy. It’s obviously a massive moment for him and his family qualifying for the World Cup and sometimes that can give you that little spark you need. At times he needs to be tidier and keep the ball for us, but what he is, is a goalscorer. We haven’t seen that so hopefully now we can start to see that.”

Finally, Luton legend Mick Harford, a striker of some repute during his own career, with 92 goals in 217 outings for the Hatters, also capped twice by England too, added: “It’s been a very, very frustrating season for himself, for us, not seeing him on the pitch. He’s had niggly injuries, but he came on and he got into the pace of the game after about 10-15 minutes and he played well. He’ll be on a high, scoring his first goal and he’s off to the World Cup so hopefully it’s the start of something big for him.”