Luton Town manager Jack Wilshere has outlined why the Hatters are heading to Spain this summer, insisting he ‘made it clear’ the club needed a better pre-season ahead of the new League One campaign.
The former Arsenal midfielder is preparing for his first full season in charge at Kenilworth Road after narrowly missing out on promotion last term, with Town finishing just a point short despite a blistering end to the season that included nine wins and two draws.
Now, attention has already turned to ensuring the Hatters hit the ground running in 2026/27, and Wilshere believes a fresh approach to pre-season preparations could be key.
Wilshere Makes Major Change To Summer Plans
Luton have traditionally travelled to Slovenia for their summer camp in recent years, but Wilshere has opted to switch things up, with the club confirming they will instead head to Murcia in Spain later this summer.
The week-long training camp, which begins on July 19, will conclude with a supporter-friendly match at the Pinatar Arena, a venue regularly used by elite European clubs during pre-season.
Speaking to the club’s media channels, Wilshere explained the decision was about more than simply changing location.
“I know the club has been to Slovenia for the past seven years and had some really good experiences, but I made it clear to the club that I think it’s a good idea if we make a change there.
“Speaking to the players as well and speaking to the leadership group and Kal [Naismith] and Nakhi [Wells] and all them guys about pre-season and their experiences, we wanted to freshen it up. We wanted to go to a different environment, play against a different type of opposition.”
The 34-year-old also stressed the importance of building chemistry within the squad during the trip, particularly after the resilience shown by his side during the closing weeks of the campaign.
“But also to build the unity and the togetherness in the group because that was one of the biggest strengths this season in my opinion.
“When we went through the tough times, that togetherness, that unity that everyone showed and we’re going to need that again next year.”
Hatters Looking To Hit Ground Running
Wilshere admitted preparations for the new season had effectively started before the previous campaign had even ended, with coaches already deep into planning schedules, workloads and fixtures.
Luton have already confirmed a return to Hitchin Town for a pre-season fixture on July 11, while Dutch Eredivisie side Go Ahead Eagles will visit Kenilworth Road on August 2.
Additional friendlies are also expected to be arranged, including behind-closed-doors fixtures designed to carefully manage player fitness levels.
“We have to make sure that we plan and deliver a world-class pre-season because we have to be ready from day one.”
Wilshere also acknowledged the importance of supporters feeling connected to the preparations, particularly with the Hitchin fixture carrying personal significance given his links to the town.
After falling agonisingly short last season, there is already a clear sense that Luton are leaving little to chance ahead of another promotion push. However, much is about what goes on between game 1 and game 46. Last season, it was that bit that was far from ‘world class’.
