Luton Town have extended Matt Ingram’s emergency loan from Hull City to cover the Hatters’ Play-Off campaign at end of 2021-22 Sky Bet Championship season.
Ingram initially signed on emergency loan from Hull for Luton’s final two matches of the season where he played a crucial role in last Saturday’s (7 May) win over Reading to secure a play-off spot in sixth place.
Luton have since engaged in successful discussions with Hull to extend Ingram’s emergency loan until the conclusion of their Play-Off campaign, which will see the Hatters first face Huddersfield in a two-legged semi-final.
Should Luton beat the Terriers, they will then play Sheffield United or Nottingham Forest in the Final on Sunday 29 May at Wembley Stadium.
Speaking to lutontown.co.uk about how his emergency loan spell at Luton came to fruition, Ingram admitted that his mindset had initially been on his summer holidays after Hull secured safety and he was dropped to the bench to enable Nathan Baxter to get some game time for the Tigers.
Ingram went on to describe the temporary move as “too good an opportunity to turn down” despite having to make a crazy dash from Hull to Luton on the morning of Sunday 1 May, having been part of Hull’s squad against Bristol City less than 24 hours earlier.
Explaining how he received the offer, Ingram commented: “I woke up on Sunday morning to a million missed calls from Hull, and then the gaffer at Luton and Kev Pilkington, the goalie coach, called me and it was all sorted Sunday morning.
“I then had to go and train Sunday afternoon, travel and then play Fulham on Monday – which we all know was eventful!”
Ingram consequently have had to cancel a Coronavirus pandemic delayed honeymoon in the Maldives that he had planned for the off-season, although the 28 year-old insists that snubbing his honeymoon for the Play-Offs “was an opportunity I just couldn’t turn down,” heading into two huge matches.
Explaining exactly why he chose the Championship Play-Offs over his own honeymoon, Ingram said: “To play in the Championship play-offs, some players never play in them in their whole career, so to get that opportunity was far too good to turn down.
“Hopefully we get all the way to the play-off final and then we’ll look to rebook after that, but my focus is very much on Friday, very much on the game, very much on football.
“The honeymoon has taken a back seat and that will get sorted out when it gets sorted out.”
Having played in goal at Kenilworth Road as an away player for Hull in a 1-0 defeat last October and as goalie for Luton at home last Saturday in a 1-0 win over Reading, Ingram hailed the “fantastic” crowd atmosphere despite being “a real tight” stadium.
Ingram also noted how the crowd atmosphere is “horrible” from an away player perspective but praised how it is “fantastic” as a home player in a complete contrast, boosted by an energetic home crowd.
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