Peter Kioso was just six years old the last time Luton Town travelled to Vicarage Road to face fierce rivals Watford, but he says the whole squad knows what the derby clash means for fans.
If the right back could get on the pitch it would cap off quite the week for a player who, this time last year, was playing for non-league Hartlepool United.
On Tuesday he made his full debut for the Hatters against Manchester United, and kept England international Jesse Lingard in his pocket despite a 3-0 Carabao Cup third round defeat.
With Dan Potts injured and James Bree a doubt, there’s a chance Kioso’s Championship chance could come in the first clash in 14 years with local rivals the Hornets, though Martin Cranie was preferred at right back for last weekend’s 2-1 league win over Derby County.
But asked about the the potential for some game time at Vicarage Road, the 21-year-old said: “It would mean everything. We know what that game means, but we can take our performance (against Manchester United) and push it into Saturday.
“I know we’re going to push on in our form. We’ve started very well and even though we lost (to Manchester United), it’s still shows how good we’ve started and that everything we’re working on with the gaffer is working.
“The gaffer always says in the changing room about how much he believes in us and he knows what we can do this season. When you have that type of belief as players, as a team, anything’s possible, so you just go out there and play with freedom.”
Kioso has had to bide his time since swapping regular football in the north-east for a chance to make it at Luton, but he said: “I’ve always said, especially on the day that I signed, if I didn’t think I was ready, I wouldn’t have made the move, I would have just stayed in the National League.
“It is a great feeling to know that I’m moving forward in my career, but there’s still a lot more to do.”
Yet, with a former full back as a boss, Kioso believes boss Nathan Jones is helping to improve his game.
“As a defender, it helps a lot, knowing that the manager you’re playing under was a defender as well,” the former Dunstable Town ace said.
“He’s a lot more experienced than I am and if there are little things that I need to work on, he tells me to work on it.
“If there’s little things he thinks I’m not that good at, he always speaks to me. The gaffer has been great with me. He puts his arm around me when he needs to, and he gives me a bollocking when he needs to. That’s the best thing about the gaffer we have, and we trust him.”
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