My mad-Hatter antics could give me a heart attack but I can’t change
IMAGINE REACTION IF JONES BEATS BLUES
NATHAN JONES fears his passion for football will give him a heart attack.
The Luton boss has become a bit like Antonio Conte on the touchline with his eccentric behaviour, including crazy goal celebrations.
The Welshman’s love of the game has helped the Hatters into the top six in the Championship as they take a break from league action to host the might of Chelsea in the FA Cup tonight.
But Jones has vowed never to change, even if it could impact his health.
He said: “My passion is how I am as a person. Deep down I live and breathe my job.
“A lot of people in my life have had to make sacrifices because of me, some do it willingly, some unwittingly. So for me to then be something I’m not on the sidelines would be foolish. I’m a passionate person, I drive things on. It’s my natural way of doing things. I had to have that to build a career because I wasn’t the most talented individual.
“I have certain characteristics I like to accentuate and the fans see something in me that they can relate to.
“That passion will probably give me a heart attack in the end but I enjoy my work, I’m very passionate about it and I’m driven.
“The big thing is that when you believe and you have faith in something then ultimately you’d probably die for it.
“I hope it’s God’s will that I won’t have a heart attack by doing it but if you buy into something and believe in it, then that’s what martyrdom is – metaphorical martyrdom – because I sacrifice every part of my life to the detriment sometimes of others for this job. I don’t envisage losing that passion and if I did lose it, then it might be time to emigrate.”
Chelsea will travel to a sell-out 10,000 Kenilworth Road tonight, a ground that has seen little in the way of development since the 1970s.
And Luton striker Danny Hylton, above, reckons it will be hell for Thomas Tuchel’s men – even if Chelsea win.
The ex-Oxford man recalled: “It’s never nice coming to Kenilworth Road. I used to hate coming here as an opposition player. “I remember coming through that tunnel and receiving abuse, it was horrible. It always stuck in my mind.
“It’s hostile, it’s not nice. The fans will be loud, full of beans and it will not be a nice place for Chelsea to come. “The dressing rooms will not be something that Chelsea are used to. They are tight and cold, very wooden. Not nice at all. Hopefully that can play into our hands.
“At Luton we love it but we can see why others don’t.We will enjoy kicking them and getting among them. We will do everything they don’t want and make it nasty.
“I think N’Golo Kante will be quaking in his boots!”
I did it to succeed as I wasn’t that talented