Spillane - Luton spell helped my career

Michael Spillane says he will return to Carrow Road an improved player after a season spent try in vain to prevent Luton Town dropping out of the Football League.

The Canaries defender is expected to have a major role in first team affairs next season - and says Luton's campaign has helped his career.

“When I came first came here it was more about getting games under my belt,” he said.

“But after my first game I soon realised how much there was to play for and in the end I'm gutted we couldn't stay up.

“Playing games has obviously helped. I wanted to come here to play games, not to play reserve football, as every game means something.

“I think I've improved. I used to make a lot of mistakes. I made a couple early on in the season - one where I tried to flick it over a striker was silly - but I didn't do that again.

“I learned from mistakes playing week in week out.”

His time at Kenilworth Road clearly left their mark on the 20-year-old.

“I am gutted to be leaving, but I want play at the highest level possible,” he told Luton's official website.

“Luton's result will be the first I look for once I'm back in the dressing room. I don't know what it is about the club: the fans, the players, the manager, I love it. I will keep an eye on their results next season.

“It was an unbelievable season with a lot of ups and a few downs which was hard to take - not a lot of players get to play at Wembley - but that's football.

“It was a case of every time we won a game we thought 'we can do this' but then we'd lose or draw the next game.

"I genuinely thought we were the best team in the division but we were coming up against teams who were playing not to lose and we hammered a lot of teams without getting the result.”

Spillane has told his former team-mates to stay and fight the cause to get the club back into League Two at the first opportunity.

"We've had some banter in training,” he said. “I said I'd call them traitors if they leave. I want them all to stay and if they do I'd put a bet on them coming straight back up."