No extra incentive for Hatters chief ahead of Stoke meeting

Luton boss Nathan Jones won't be placing any extra incentive on the result when he goes up against former club Stoke City this season.

Michael O'Neill's side head to Kenilworth Road on Saturday, October 17 for the Hatters' third home match of the campaign, the first time that Jones will have faced the Potters since he was sacked in November 2019.

After leaving Town for the bet365 Stadium in January 2019, Jones struggled to achieve the results he wanted, leaving after just nine months in charge with Stoke second bottom of the Championship.

They eventually managed to survive though, finishing in 15th, eight points clear of relegation, as speaking about the fixture, Jones, who returned to Luton in May to mastermind Town's Great Escape, said: "It’s a big test, but I’m really looking forward to playing Stoke.

“For me there is no bitterness, there’s none of this ‘I’m desperate to beat them because of this or that’.

“I’ll just want to win a game of football, as I always do.

“It’s a good club with real good people, and for the owners and people that work there, I was delighted that they stayed up.

“I would have hated for any contribution that I made to be towards their demise of any kind.

“It’ll be a good game and I still keep in touch with some of the players and staff at the club, so I’m looking forward to the game and hopefully some of our fans will be allowed back in by the time that game comes around.

“I’ll look forward to going to the away fixture (February 20) as well, because hopefully there can be a big, big crowd by then and I can go and see everyone, because although it was a tough time there, it’s a good, good club that I hold fondly.”