Many Premier League fans are expecting Luton Town to go down this season.
The recently-promoted Hatters lost their opening fixture 4-1 at Brighton, and looked hopelessly short of quality against seasoned top-flight opposition. But former Luton hitman Paul Dickov, who spent time on loan at the club from Arsenal in the 1993/94 campaign, believes they have a secret weapon up their sleeve: Kenilworth Road.
"George Graham wanted me to go out on loan and get some first-team football," Dickov tells FourFourTwo on behalf of aGamble. "So I went to Luton and it was an unbelievable experience.
"I learnt a lot from the likes of Kerry Dixon and Mitchell Thomas. They taught me what it takes to be a professional footballer. In terms of the mentality you have to bring to training, the aggression and focus you need on matchdays. Kenilworth Road fed into the mentality around the club."
Explained: the changes Luton Town needed to make at Kenilworth Road to play in the Premier League
Dickov made 15 appearances for the Hatters before returning to Arsenal. But Kenilworth Road left a lasting impression on the young forward, and now he believes the Premier new boys can use its aura to their advantage against the elite.
"No disrespect to Kenilworth Road, because it's a great stadium, with huge tradition," explains Dickov. "But there will be Premier League players that haven't seen anything like it before. You add that to the incredible atmosphere the Luton fans bring to every game and it's an advantage I think they can use to help them stay up.
"Some of these top stars will only have seen a stadium like Kenilworth Road when they've played against much smaller sides in the FA Cup or the League Cup. It's a fortress; it can be an intimidating place and if going somewhere like that is not something you're used to it can be tough. I'm sure the Luton coaches and players will be looking to squeeze everything they can out of it this season."
Read more Luton Town stories
Luton Town exited the Football League in 2010 but have since climbed to the Premier League: Five others have dropped never to be seen again
Luton Town and ‘Manager Idol’: Recalling the phone-in competition that let supporters vote for their preferred manager
Luton Town once proposed a 70,000 seater replacement for Kenilworth Road, complete with Formula One track
'David Beckham was desperate to play in my squad, but I didn't want to bring him along and waste the FA’s money: I had to pick the strongest players': Great Britain coach reflects on Becks snub as 'one of the toughest decisions' of his career
‘Big Sam gets a bad rap as a bit of a dinosaur, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He was ahead of the curve on many things – I loved playing for him’: Ex-Bolton star sets record straight on Allardyce
