Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer was delighted to get a full 90 under his belt in their preseason clash at Sheffield Wednesday.
It was a first full game for Lockyer since he collapsed with a heart problem in the promotion playoff final against Coventry City.
Speaking after the win, the defender said: “Tough, really tough, it’s been a different pre-season for myself.
“It’s been a weird one if I’m being honest, I’ve always been told I’m a couple of weeks behind, but it doesn’t sit right with me.
“I want to be up with the lads, so to finally get 90 is a good feeling and I know it’s in the locker now.
“When the lads start running in the off season ready for the pre-season, obviously I wasn’t allowed to do too much.
“I was only allowed to do a couple of 5ks just to see where I was at and obviously when the lads are doing their own stuff, they’re sprinting box to boxes and very S&C (strength and conditioning) specific, which I wasn’t able to do, which meant when I came in, they were very conscious of me not breaking down as that would set me back further.
“So it’s been a different pre-season, but hopefully now with 90 in the tank I can look forward.”
On facing Brighton for the Premier League opener, Lockyer added: “You don’t really want to look too far ahead, you can get carried away with the season that is coming up.
“We have to focus on getting our principles right on the pitch, doing everything we can in training for the first game, so we’re well drilled for that first game.
“You want to win the pre-season friendlies, but there’s a deeper meaning for us at the minute.
“Shape, how we want to play, how we want to move the ball, getting to know new players who’ve come in and them getting used to our style of play.
“So you’ve got to see preseason for what it is, but I’m delighted to get 90 minutes under my belt and I know a few of the lads have as well.”
