Clark: No better feeling than scoring the winner for Luton against Wayne Rooney's Derby County

Hatters match-winner Jordan Clark admitted there was no better feeling than coming off the bench to score the winner against a Derby County side containing Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney on Saturday.

With seven minutes to go and the scores locked at 1-1, Clark was introduced along with George Moncur, in an attacking switch by boss Nathan Jones.

It paid off almost instantaneously too, with Clark left completely unmarked to head home Rhys Norrington’s cross at the far post, as Rooney, the Red Devils and Three Lions top goalscorer, suffered a second successive defeat at Kenilworth Road, having been beaten 3-2 last season as well.

Clark, who didn’t play any first team football for a good six months between March and September after the coronavirus pandemic saw his League One season at Accrington Stanley ended prematurely, said: “We were saying on the bench, we were in awe of him really and some of the lads played like that in a way as you don't want to go near him.

“But it’s a game of football, you’ve got to get tight to him and kick him a few times.

"You can see he’s got the quality, he sort of controlled the game in the second half, his passing range, but it was worthwhile, a long time out of the game, coming on against Wayne Rooney and scoring the winner, there’s no better feeling.”

The goal when it came saw Clark find the net with his head for the second time in a week, beating Rams keeper David Marshall from close range for his first league goal in a Town shirt.

He continued: “I’m not known for my heading, but it’s nice to get goals.

"Creating chances is what the gaffer has fetched me here for, along with a couple of other things, but long may it continue.

“It was weird, I tried to set Collo (James Collins) up and it sort of wormed its way out to the other side and I just made my way into the box, the big target man as I am.

“Rhys put another good ball in and put it on a plate for me, I just had to make sure I hit the target and I wasn’t too far out.

"If I hit the target, it was going to go in anyway, so I'm buzzing.”

It was the second time in the space of five days that Clark had met a cross from Town’s on-loan Sheffield United full back, who is also his new housemate, for a goal that proved to decide the contest, after also being on target during the 1-0 Carabao Cup win at Reading on Tuesday night.

He said: “We’re staying together in a house so it must be down to that, a bit of combination play and linking up.

“It’s all right to be fair, he’s a good lad and we've formed a little partnership off the field and it looks like we’re forming one on the field so happy days, I might make him a nice cup of tea now.”

After so long out of through no fault of his own, Clark is relishing any time he steps out on to the field once more, particularly with Luton's superb start to the season, recording four wins from four.

He added: "I was a bit tired after Tuesday night as it’s been a long five or six months before starting a game, so it was good to get that one.

"Hopefully we keep winning as when you’re winning and you’re playing well and the team’s playing well, it makes it more enjoyable, but there's no better feeling than winning."