Jordan Clark says he’s been getting “emotional” when Luton fans tell him what winning promotion to the Premier League means for them, calling the town a “special place”.
The midfielder scored the opener at Wembley against Coventry in the Championship play-off final last Saturday and also stepped up for the penalty shootout as one of six takers that all scored before Fankaty Dabo missed to confirm one of the most remarkable stories in English football.
Town are the only team to have gone from the non-league to the Premier League and Clark is one of a handful of Hatters that played in the Conference.
In fact, the midfielder played for Hyde against Luton in Town’s last ever game in the Conference in 2014, with them already crowned champions, booking their place back in the Football League after five years away.
That was the start of the Hatters’ Renaissance which has seen them go from the fifth-tier to the top flight in just nine years.
That achievement saw an estimated 20,000 fans line the streets of Luton on Monday for a victory parade like no other and Clark said: “Seeing all that is a really a pinch yourself moment.
“Seeing all those people turn out, and I never thought there would be that many people there, and (it’s) a bit emotional to be honest, to see what it means to so many people.
“Just what a day for the fans and for the players, the staff, the group of lads that we’ve got there, we’ve achieved our dream of getting to Premier League which you always set out as a kid.
“But I’ve had people saying ‘you’ve made our lives’ and it touches you a little bit.
“It’s special little comments like that and you think, these people have been following this club for 10, 20, 30, 50, 60 years. However old people are, it’s a really special day and I’m just chuffed to bits.”
As well as more than 36,000 Hatters inside Wembley, Lutonians packed Wardown Park to watch the play-off final on big screens set up by the council, as well as the sea of orange that flooded Bury Park, St George’s Square and side town centre side streets, meaning Luton’s open top bus took far longer than anticipated to make its way from Kenilworth Road to the heart of the town.
Clark said: “You realise what you’ve done for all these fans, for this town, for this community. It’s such a special place and I’ve always said it’s a special team and a special group of lads, but it’s a special place with everyone involved, everyone pulling in the right direction.
“We’ve achieved our dream and I’m so happy for everyone.”
The Luton players are in Las Vegas for further promotion celebrations but on Sunday Clark he managed to tear himself away from the partying to watch Match of the Day, which was another moment that emphasised the magnitude of Luton’s achievement.
He “said: I got back in about 10pm and it just came on. It’s sort of pinch yourself again, I thought, wow, next year you’re going to be watching yourself on this channel.
“Gary Lineker and all those people, what you’ve watched for years and years as a kid.
“I’ve always said I’d love to be on there one day and just can’t believe next year we’re going to be on there.
“(It’s) what dreams are made of really.”
