Jack Wilshere admitted Devante Cole has “suffered” during his difficult start to life at Luton Town but believes the striker can now use his first goal for the club to revive his Hatters career.
Cole ended a nine-month wait for his first Luton goal on Tuesday night, nodding into an empty net from point blank range after Emilio Lawrence’s shot was saved in the first half of the 6-0 Jersey Mike’s Subs Trophy victory over Ipswich Town Under-21s.
It was only his second appearance of the season, having also featured against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup last month, while he has yet to make a League One squad, with Nahki Wells and Callum Marshall above him in the pecking order.
The 31-year-old arrived from Port Vale in January’s transfer deadline day with the task of helping Luton score more goals, but opportunities have been limited and his first goal in a Hatters shirt took until his eighth month at the club.
With Wells (Bermuda) and Marshall (Northern Ireland) away on international duty, however, Cole was given his chance alongside several other players looking to force their way into Wilshere’s plans.
And the Luton boss was particularly pleased for a player he says has dealt with a difficult period without allowing it to affect his attitude.
“I’m really happy for him because it’s not been easy for D, and I’ve got massive, massive respect for him,” Wilshere said.
“It’s been tough for him. I understand that, but also he’s an experienced player who knows that he has to train and he has to prepare himself all the time to wait for that opportunity. And he does that. And it’s credit to him.
“He’s never thrown his toys out, he’s focused and disciplined. And it’s been tough for him.”
Wilshere believes Cole recognised that the absence of Wells and Marshall represented an opportunity to show what he can offer, and he is expected to get another opportunity in the rearrange EFL Trophy trip to Colchester United a week on Satuday.
“I think he probably saw that this period, when Nahki and Marshy are away, that he’d get his opportunity,” the Hatters boss said.
“And he’s got two games to show that, and I thought he did well. It’s not easy as well when you haven’t played a game in so long to come back into that intensity. But he’s done well and I’m happy he got his goal.”
Cole’s struggles have been particularly difficult because he arrived at Kenilworth Road with a clear remit to add goals, but Wilshere believes the forward has needed time to adapt to a very different attacking style.
“I think when D came, he had to adapt to how we wanted to play,” he said. “I know he came through at [Manchester] City, but [he] probably hasn’t played in a team that’s attacking the way we do. And I think that takes some time to adjust.”
The situation was made harder by Luton’s inconsistency at the time, according to Wilshere, leaving Cole with relatively few chances in front of goal and increasing the pressure whenever an opportunity did arrive.
“At that point, the team was really inconsistent,” the Town manager said. “So then [it] probably felt like, for D, that he wasn’t getting that many opportunities in a game. And then when he did get an opportunity, it wouldn’t feel right or he’d miss the opportunity. And then that built pressure. I felt that.
“And then once you’re in that position as a nine and your confidence is gone and you haven’t scored for a while and people are questioning you, it’s tough to come back from.
“The only way you come back from it is by working hard, by committing to it. And he did that, in fairness.
“And I think when you’re a number nine and you come into a club and it doesn’t happen straight away, then there’s some pressure.
“At that point we brought a number nine because we wanted to score more goals and it didn’t quite happen like that. And then self-doubt comes in, confidence is knocked a bit. And it’s been tough for him. There’s no denying that.
“I’m sure if you asked him how he saw this going and how he wanted it to go, he’s gonna say he’s not happy with that,” he said.
“But he has to work for it. He suffered a bit, and he has — there’s no denying that.
“And now he has to come through it, and I’m happy he scored because that’s really, really important for a number nine.
“And he’s got a lot to give and he’ll feel like that. And the number one thing he’ll feel like he’s got to give is goals. And he got that.”
Cole showed more attacking intent aside from his goal, getting himself into positions and testing the Ipswich defence, and Wilshere believes those actions can be just as important for rebuilding a striker’s confidence.
“I think he looked more confident and he had more threat,” the manager said.
“And sometimes with the number nine you just want them to shoot — just shoot early in the game, just get a shot off, get a shot on target. Attack the box, get on the end of a cross. And he done that a couple of times. And then that builds confidence into the game.
“And his goal — everyone will say he’s got to score, of course he does, he’s on the line. But actually the desire to go there and score — that’s what you need as a nine.”
Wilshere now hopes the goal can provide the starting point for Cole to show more of what Luton thought they were getting when they signed him.
“We’ll go through his clips with him and show him the difference that was there [against Ipswich] that wasn’t there last season,” he said.
Cole was not the only player to benefit from the opportunity against Ipswich, with Joe Johnson also impressing after a lack of regular involvement.
Wilshere believes that is exactly the mentality he wants to create within his squad, with players remaining convinced their opportunity can come if they continue to prepare properly.
“Of course he can,” Wilshere said when asked if Cole could force his way back into the first team.
“I want everyone to feel like that. I want all the players to feel like that and I hope they do. I genuinely hope they do because in this league, with this schedule, you need everyone to believe in that.
“And I know sometimes it’s easy for a coach to say, and I’ve also been there as a player when a coach has said that and you do actually feel that.
“But generally that is the way, and not just him — I thought JJ hasn’t been involved that much, I thought he was excellent.
“You don’t do that unless you train properly. So I want all the players to feel that, and their time will come.”
Be the first to comment