Emilio Lawrence has returned to Luton Town on a season-long loan from Manchester City and boss Jack Wilshere revealed he was determined to bring the youngster back to Kenilworth Road after he helped the Hatters lift the Vertu Trophy last season.
The 20-year-old scored twice in 21 appearances during the second half of last season, including the equaliser against Stockport County in the Vertu Trophy final at Wembley Stadium.
On the eve of the League One season starting at Reading, Wilshere told the club’s website: “From the last day of the season, I was clear with Emilio that my intention was to bring him back.
“He did well with us, so of course he then has more interest in him than he would have had last January, but I’m so happy that he sees us as a club where he needs to be to continue his development.
“It works both ways. We as a team look better with him in it, so he helps us. But we can also help him develop. He really grew in his time here last season. I think it was a shock to him when he came in and experienced League One for the first time.
“But as we always say, experiencing something is so much better than explanation, and you have to go through that difficult period to know that. He certainly did that and he came out the other end.”
Lawrence initially found himself having to adapt to a different role after arriving at the club in January, with Wilshere recalling his performance at Port Vale when he was deployed as a wing-back.
“I think about the first game when he came back into the team, Port Vale away, and he played as a wingback, which he’d probably never done in his career.
“I liked his attitude to that and yes, it probably wasn’t his preferred position, but he never complained. He got on with it. He understood what he had to do to get back into the team and we always knew he had the quality.”
The experience of winning silverware alongside his team-mates has also helped convince Wilshere that Lawrence’s return can be beneficial for both player and club.
“Then he won something with these lads, which you can’t underestimate as a factor in getting him back. We created that unity with the culture here, which he was part of, and they’ll all be as happy to see him back here as I am.”
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