Sonny Bradley will depart Luton Town with the full set of EFL promotions and the latest one is the pick of the lot, despite not playing in the Championship play-off final.
But, as club captain, the defender was honoured to lift the trophy at Wembley which meant the Hatters will be a Premier League team next season.
Bradley had announced the end of a fruitful five-year stay before the play-offs, but yesterday it was officially confirmed when the 31-year-old was one of three players released, along with Henri Lansbury and Harry Isted.
It was ultimately a frustrating final Hatters season for Bradley has he suffered a serious injury November and didn’t return until March. And though he played five games towards the back end of the campaign, as injuries struck in defence, he only managed 19 appearances.
Bradley wasn’t named in any of the match-day squads for the play-offs, but there was time for an emotional farewell to Kenilworth Road after Luton beat Sunderland in the semi-final to book a place at Wembley.
Then, after the Hatters beat Coventry 6-5 on penalties, the skipper was given the honour of leading the team up the famous steps of the national stadium to lift some silverware.
And, after helping Town to the League One crown in 2019 and winning promotion from the third tier with Plymouth Argyle in 2017, the Championship success on Saturday completed the hat-trick.
He said: “In football, considering I didn’t play, that’s probably the best day of my football career, just lifting that trophy with this set of lads, absolutely amazing.
“I’ve done League Two, done League One and now I’ve done the Championship, so I’ve got the full set.
“It’s a shame that if I want to play in the Premier League, that’s going to have to be on hold for a little bit, but when it comes to the EFL, I’ve done all three now which I’m proud of.”
It was Tom Lockyer that led Luton out at Wembley but the Welshman’s final ended early when he collapsed and had to be taken to hospital.
Town’s player of the season was only released home yesterday, so he missed the celebrations at Wembley and then in Luton two days later.
Speaking at a civic reception inside the town hall after 20,000 fans had lined the streets of Luton to welcome home their heroes, Bradley said: “The only negative was that Locks wasn’t here with us right now as if anyone deserves to lift that trophy in front of all the fans, it’s him, he’s immense.”
Bradley leaves Luton having made 175 appearances for the club and the trophy lift bookended Town’s spell in the Championship which began with his stunning top-corner volley in a televised 3-3 draw at home to Middlesbrough in their first game back in the second tier.
But the emergence, during his injury, of Gabriel Osho, Reece Burke alongside Lockyer and the conversions of Amari’i Bell and Dan Potts from full-backs to centre-halves, left the Yorkshireman further down the pecking order.
Bradley said: “My Luton Town career has come to an end and it is what it is. As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end at some point, and it’s my time. It feels like the right time for the club and myself.
“The manager’s been brilliant with me, Gary (Sweet, CEO), Mick (Harford, chief recruitment officer), everyone’s been brilliant with me and honestly I can’t say any more positive things.”
The promotion to the Premier League marked Luton seventh straight season of progression, which this term came after they’d finished the league in third place.
“It hasn’t always been easy,” said Bradley, adding: “if you look at the positions we’ve finished in the last five years since I’ve come in, you might think we’ve absolutely cruised it, but there have been times when it has been difficult.
“But we’ve come out the right side and I’m just absolutely proud for everyone at the football club as they’re now Premier League.”
1 Trackback / Pingback
Comments are closed.