Charlie Henry is determined to force his way into the reckoning at Luton Town after returning from his twomonth loan spell at Aldershot Town.
The midfielder made his long-awaited return from injury in the FA Cup win over Hendon back in October before being sent out on loan to get more first team football action.
Henry’s stint with League Two Aldershot saw him feature six times, starting three games, and he feels that has benefitted him on his return to Kenilworth Road.
“The first few games I was on the bench and coming on, but the last three I did really well,” said the 24-year-old. “I feel my fitness is back up and I’m just raring to go.
“Obviously I was out for over a year with it and that killed me, but now I’m back into the swing of things I just want to play football now.
“I want to work hard and show the gaffer what I can do. I’ve been working hard in training and trying to show him that. He’s had a bit of faith in me by playing me and I thought I did well. The squad is really good here and hopefully I can give what I can for the club because I want to play here.”
Henry found himself back in the Luton starting line-up for Tuesday night’s FA Trophy victory over Kidderminster Harriers, playing 86 minutes as part of the midfield three.
Both him and Jon Paul Kissock combined well as the Hatters claimed a 2-1 win to progress to the quarter finals, and that is a role Henry could well be reprising.
He said: “The gaffer said to me he thinks I would do well in there. He wants me and JP to get on the ball and I thought we did that. I felt that I worked hard and got on the ball, and the front three started working hard from the front to help us work it all over the pitch.
"When we got hold of the ball I didn’t think they could live with us when we started passing and moving. Obviously the conditions weren’t too good, the pitch wasn’t great and it was freezing cold, and it was one of those where we could have put it to the back of our minds and not tried as hard.
"But we came here and gave a really professional performance, and we worked our socks off.”
The main thing for Henry now is to cement his place in the starting 11 and he is motivated by a desire to pay back the loyalty shown to him while out injured.
Henry said: “It was touch and go that I might have to hang my boots up with it being such a bad injury, but I’ve come back stronger and willing to prove a point. I owe the club and the fans, and I just want to pay them back with one hundred and ten percent work rate, and hopefully getting promoted.”
