The 27-year-old was a shock inclusion on the teamsheet for the clash with Angle Postecoglou’s side, as he came on for the final 16 minutes of the 2-1 defeat, his first outing in a Town shirt since the play-off final victory over Coventry City in May. Onyedinma was then included in the XI during Luton’s second trip to north London last night, his last starting coming in the 0-0 draw with Hull City last season, playing 55 minutes at the Emirates Stadium until being withdrawn with a quarter of an hour to go for Cauley Woodrow.
It was a complete turnaround for the former Birmingham and Millwall player who was loaned out to Rotherham United in the summer, playing 19 times for the Millers until injury saw his stint at the AESSEAL New York Stadium ended. Onyedinma had been due to exit Kenilworth Road once more in the January transfer window, but that didn’t materialise when he faced to recover in time, as it looked like he might not be able to play anywhere for the rest of the campaign.
However, with captain Tom Lockyer not included in the club’s final 25-man squad following his cardiac arrest against AFC Bournemouth back in December, it left a space free, and with boss Rob Edwards opting against raiding the free agent market, that was given to the winger for the final nine games of the season.
Asked how it came about and whether he thought his chances of playing for the Hatters again had gone, Onyedinma said: “Yes, of course (he felt his Town career was over). I was just thinking, especially when I came back injured, the disappointment for me, so you can imagine how headloss I was. It’s just football, you have to literally keep your head down, you never know what happens.
“You just have to try and be in and around it and then who knows, unfortunately people got injured, but you have to fill in and have to be ready. Initially I was just training with Elliot Thorpe as he was in a similar situation, just to get my fitness back from injury. Then you find out that you’re going to be in the squad and then the next thing you know you’re here at Arsenal, unfortunately we lost, but that’s how football is.
