Callum McManaman is back to best, said Luton manager Graeme Jones after he came off the bench to rescue a point against Millwall last night.
Town dominated possession but fell behind to a Tom Bradshaw goal so the hits changed their shape, brought on Kazenga LuaLua, Luke Bolton and McManaman and the latter two combined in the 86th minute for the winger’s first goal for the club.
McManaman joined the Hatters in the summer but has had a stop-start beginning to his time at the club, with injury curtailing his progress.
But his manager, who worked with him at Wigan, says he’s getting back to the player that was named man of the match during the Latic’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Jones said: “In the last week I’ve seen the Callum McManaman from 2013 and there’s only me that can see it because I know him so well.
“He has the sharpness and abrasiveness about his play, he wants the ball, he wants to hurt people and its there, it’s back.
“It’s taken a bit of time, and I’ll repeat myself, I really believe in Callum McManaman. Callum McManaman’s applying himself, he’s got elite talent and we brought two one-v-one players on the pitch, in Kaz (Kazenga LuaLua) and Callum McManaman, to play against Millwall’s two banks of four and it worked. I’m really satisfied.”
McManaman’s goal was his first for almost a year and Jones believes there’s even more to come from the Liverpudlian.
“He’s still 28, he’s not finished,” said the manager, adding: “His lifestyle’s perfect. He’s committed to football, he’s committed to Luton Town Football Club.
“But that was the human agreement I had with him back in June, that if I was going to take him I wanted that level of commitment.
“What I’ve seen in the last four/five days pleases me because I know what’s coming.”
