Luton hitman Danny Hylton has hailed Nathan Jones as more of a father figure to Town’s squad – and the only man that could’ve kept the club in the Championship.
When the Welshman arrived back at Kenilworth Road during lockdown for a second spell, his task was to claw back an effective seven point gap due to the worst goal difference int he division.
He did that, taking 16 points from a possible 27, which was play-off chasing form, with the final day victory over Blackburn lifting Luton out of the bottom three for the first time since Boxing Day and seeing them to a 19th placed Great Escape.
Those last nine games saw Hylton brought back in from the cold and last week the 31-year-old penned a new two-year deal.
Asked about the magic ingredient that Jones possesses to get the best out of players, Hylton said: “I can’t tell you the exact characteristic, but the minute I signed for him, when I signed for Luton four years ago, he just put confidence and belief in me.
“This might sound preachy, but it’s not just with me. He loves everyone of us. He’s a manager but he’s like a father figure to all of us. He’s more than a manager and when you give that to your players, they play with confidence, freedom and belief.
“We know there are lines that we can’t cross. We know what he expects and his high standards. We know that when we’re working, we’re working, but he’s very good at knowing the balance between work and a relationship off the pitch.
“I’ve never said a bad word about him. I think he’s the best. He’s the best for this group of people. He’s been the best for me and, for me, he’s the only man that would’ve kept us in the division, to be fair. I think that highly of him.
“I don’t think it’s a job that many other people could’ve done, if any, so I think he has to take a lot of credit for that.”
