‘I have the same drive I did a decade ago’ – Northern Ireland midfielder looking to bounce back after ‘tough couple of years’

Saville featured in all but one of Millwall’s 46 games in the Championship last year but moved on after failing to agree a new contract at The Den

More than 10 years have passed since George Saville last toasted promotion. It’s been a case of close but no cigar for the Northern Ireland international in recent years, having spent the last four seasons at Millwall. But if there’s one thing that Saville’s new club Luton Town know about then it’s climbing up the football ladder.

The Hatters clinched a return to the Football League at the same time that the midfielder’s loan spell at Brentford culminated with promotion to the Championship in 2014. Since then Luton have risen from League Two all the way to the Premier League. But after suffering successive relegations, Saville now wants the League One club to get upwardly mobile once more.

He said: “When I look over the course of my career, seasons like that (winning promotion with Brentford) stand out. They are memories you hold on to for a lifetime, really.

“Obviously everything ticked the right boxes here (at Luton) and that’s why I joined. But ultimately I’m here to achieve things and promotion is what I want to achieve this year with the football club.”

Saville featured in all but one of Millwall’s 46 games in the Championship last year but moved on after failing to agree a new contract at The Den.

Luton fought off competition from second-tier clubs to land the 32-year-old, who brings a wealth of experience to Kenilworth Road. And Saville admitted the opportunity to play an important role in a side pushing for promotion was an enticing one.

“I sat down with the club and the manager and they made me feel like they wanted me to be part of something,” he said.

“I still have the same drive as I did 10 years ago. That was obviously a slight part of the move as well – I still feel like I have a lot to offer. Hopefully I have a positive impact.”

Luton kicked off their campaign with a tense 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon last Friday night and travel to Peterborough this weekend looking to chalk up successive victories.

It took them until mid-September to record their first Championship win last season – ironically against Millwall – but Saville is adamant there will be no hangover after two years of struggling for results.

“It’s been a tough couple of years, there’s no denying that,” Saville conceded.

“But for me it’s just a case of going out there and trying to win a game of football.

“Yeah, there’s probably a little bit more pressure on us now in this division because we’re a bigger target. Clubs will look and think, ‘When are we playing Luton?’. That’s football.

“We’d like to think with the right attitude and the right mindset, we’ve got enough quality in this building to go and win more football games than the last couple of years.”