Elijah Adebayo has refused to take credit for the hat-trick he scored in Luton Town’s 4-0 Premier League win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday night.
The Anglo-Nigerian struck twice in the first half before completing his hat-trick in the second half. Irish-Nigerian forward Chidozie Ogbene scored the other goal for the Hatters.
Adebayo became the first Luton player to score a top flight hat-trick since Lars Elstrup did against Norwich City in September 1990, and he described matching the feat as “surreal”.
“I can’t, if I’m being honest. It’s just a surreal feeling. But again, I can’t take all the credit. I think the boys were fantastic,” Adebayo said.
“Everyone, even the subs, were phenomenal and we were told to start sharp and boy did we. So yeah, it was a great feeling for myself personally but I wouldn’t have been able to do it without those boys behind me.”
3 – Elijah Adebayo is the first Luton Town player to score a top-flight hat-trick since Lars Elstrup against Norwich City in September 1990, and first at Kenilworth Road since Mark Stein against Oxford United in February 1988. Magic. pic.twitter.com/ERqnk29CWa
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 30, 2024
He added: “Yeah, I mean, the first goal is always crucial no matter what league you play in. So getting the first goal was obviously good and then to get the second not long after definitely gave us a platform even more so. And then it was about not being complacent as a group and these boys, they know not to be complacent.
“We’ve been in this, what we’ve been down to and then have to come back. So being in this position is obviously unfamiliar in a way but that’s credit to the boys. They stuck at it and then it was just about making a statement, going and scored more and we probably could have scored more.”
Adebayo’s hat-trick took him to eight goals in 21 Premier League games this season while Luton moved out of the relegation zone and above Everton to 17th place.
