Midfielder, Luke Berry has signed a new contract at Luton Town.
Berry joined Luton from Cambridge United in August 2017 and has scored 24 goals in 164 appearances, during which he helped the Hatters climb from League Two upon arrival all the way up to the Premier League.
The 30 year-old midfielder even scored Luton’s penultimate penalty in last season’s Championship Play-Off Final triumph over Coventry, which the Hatters won 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Wembley Stadium, London.
Upon signing his new contract, Berry immediately reflected upon Luton’s Play-Off success as he commented: “That was the best achievement of my career, and to do it at Wembley with this group of players made it even more sweeter. It was the best day of my career by a mile.
“It didn’t properly sink in until I saw the badges, and who we were playing. Our badge was in the mix with all the Liverpools, Man Uniteds and Chelseas, and when you look at that and think, what an achievement we’ve made to be amongst the big teams like that. Now we’ve got to try and stay there with them.”
On what it means to stay at Kenilwroth Road, Berry added: “It’s great to sign a new contract. I’ve said it in previous interviews but I love playing for the club, I love playing at the Kenny, and long may it continue with all the success we’ve had previously. Hopefully there is more to come.”
Berry even praised manager, Rob Edwards for how he managed to make a “brilliant” impact despite joining midway through last season, after Nathan Jones quit for a disastrous stint at Southampton.
Acknowledging how Edwards and his coaching staff didn’t come in and make the squad adapt to his style of play, Berry said: “They’ve not transformed it from what was happening previously, but have changed a few bits that have really made us a better team, and that showed in the second half of the season.”
Edwards meanwhile is “delighted” to retain Berry who he described as “someone who has just grown on me and grown on me the more we’ve been here. He knows this as well. He’s just got better and better.”
The ex Watford and Forest Green Rovers manager, added that Berry has “shown real moments of quality” from a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw at home to Millwall to stepping up with “outstanding” confidence as a substitute on occasions.
Edwards also applauded Berry for his impact within the squad as he continued: “He’s just performed really well, whenever we’ve asked him to, and he’s a really valuable member of the squad.
“Not only that, he knows the club inside out and we’ve got to stay true to ourselves, we have to keep that heartbeat, keep that core of people who have helped us get to where we’ve got to.”
Given Luton’s rise up the football pyramid in the last decade, Edwards iterated that those who have been part of their journey are “special” players who need to be celebrated, and Berry in particular “thoroughly deserves to get a crack in the Premier League” along with Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu.
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