Lawless targets playing at Power Court after reaching 200 for Luton

With Town unveiling plans to submit planning application for a new stadium at Power Court in the summer last week, which they are aiming to be built by 2020, Lawless spoke of his dream to still be a Luton player then.

The 31-year-old, who moved to Bedfordshire from York City in 2010, said: “There’s a lot of players who go to clubs they’re with them for a year or two years, but this would be six years for me now in November.

“You get a feel for a lot more than you normally would if you were at the club for a short time period, plus I live in the town, so I completely appreciate what that will do for everyone.

“It’s nice to see the progress and I definitely have ambitions (to play there), so however people might think they might be unrealistic, they’re not to me, it’s definitely an ambition to me.”

Hatters boss Nathan Jones was full of praise for the midfielder’s milestone too, especially after having to endure a spell out of the side recently.

He said: “I compared him to a player I used to have at Brighton, in terms of an Inigo Calderon.

“That’s a good pro, that whatever situation they’re in, whatever form they’re going through, whether they’re picked, whether they’re on the bench, whether they’re coming back from injury, they show the same commitment, same desire to train, same professionalism and that’ so, so important and not everyone does that.

“I’m not saying we haven’t got those, but in football not everyone does that and he’s fantastic. Every time he gets his chance, he takes it, and he’s ready and that’s a vital component for any top footballer now.

“He’s done superbly well in the game for us he came back in too. He’s been unlucky really as he’s been borderline whether he should have started or not as I’ve gone with other people for different reasons, but he’s shown he’s a consummate professional.”

On reaching his double century too, becoming the 68th player to reach the landmark in the club’s long history during the game at the Kassam Stadium, Lawless admitted it was a hugely gratifying moment, adding: “I’m very proud, very, very proud, for a club like Luton is just too good for words for me.

“I came here wanting to go up the leagues, we’ve gone up one which is one step, but to accumulate that many games, it just makes me want to play another 200 to be honest with you.

“It feels like it’s been most of my career here now and when I first moved, that’s what I wanted it to be. I wanted to be here, progressing with a club and that hasn’t changed.”