Luton Town will find out their opponents for the first Sky Bet Championship fixture of the 2021/22 campaign on Thursday at 9am, just as the players will arrive at The Brache for their first day back of pre-season testing!

During a lunchtime Zoom with the local media, the 34-year-old joked that he will be looking out for ‘half his old clubs’ when the schedule is revealed.

But on a more serious note, he added: “I’m looking forward to it, keen to see who we get. It is always nice to have that thrill on the first day, to find out who you are going to get first day of the season, and it gives you a little bit of a target.

“Having been in pre-season, you are working towards that game and you want to play the first game so you’re desperate to try and make an impression in pre-season and hopefully you get the nod.”

After a two-year spell away playing in Turkey with Goztepe prior to returning to England in October last year, Jerome is more than ready to prove himself once again at Championship level, admitting: “I think in football you’re only as good as your last game, so every day you’re always proving yourself to your team-mates, the management staff and the club.

"You’re always proving your worth, that you’re good enough, proving you’ve still got it, proving you can contribute.

“There might be one or two raised eyebrows from people with the age thing, but as soon as you perform and they see what you bring to the team and what you can contribute, you’ve got to earn the respect I guess and every day you’ve got to earn the respect of your fellow team-mates, the manager and the supporters of the football club.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge, I’ve never shied away from a challenge and I believe I’m more than capable of making a good contribution to this squad.”