Jack Wilshere will be taking his Luton Town team to Wembley in April, after qualifying for the EFL Trophy final with a somewhat unusual tournament run.
Jack Wilshere’s Luton Town side defeated Northampton Town 2-1 in the EFL Trophy semi-finals last week to qualify for a Wembley final, with Luton set to take on Stockport County on April 12th.
“I’m happy for the players,” the former Gunner said afterwards. “It will be a proud moment (at Wembley). When I stepped into this mad coaching world, I stepped in with a lot of humility and awareness that I needed to get better, and then I’m here, as head coach.
“When you spend so much time and energy to get a day at Wembley with a group you truly believe in, and who you feel believe in you, it’s a special moment.”
One of Wilshere’s first wins as Luton manager was against the Brighton u21s in the EFL Trophy group stage, with the team securing a vital 3-1 result that not only saw them progress, but also allowed them to top the group on goal difference.
Luton followed that up with an impressive 4-0 victory over Exeter City in early December, but after that, their EFL Trophy campaign got a little more unconventional.
Luton were drawn at home to Swindon Town in the round-of-16, and they lost the match 2-1. The defeat was seemingly the end of their tournament, until it emerged that Swindon had fielded two ineligible players.
Luton were reinstated for the quarter-finals, which they won 2-1 against Plymouth Argyle to reach last week’s semi against Northampton.
It can’t be every season that a team eliminated from the competition in January end up scheduling a trip to Wembley for the final in April, but that’s what’s happened.
Wilshere will now look to make the most of Luton’s second chance by winning the entire tournament.