'Relegation scar will never go away' - Bloomfield

Matt Bloomfield spent two decades at Wycombe - as player, then returning as head coach - before taking the Luton job

Luton Town manager Matt Bloomfield took a 10-day holiday to Tenerife this summer.

But he did not stop working.

"It's not a job where you switch off, it's always with you, it's an obsession,' he told BBC Look East.

While he was there, he met Port Vale's assistant manager Wayne Jacobs in the same hotel, and one of Wolverhampton Wanderers' coaches.

"I was able to get an insight into what was going on with [Wolves centre-back] Nigel Lonwijk and we were able to sign him [on a season-long loan] off the back of that.

"So, it literally never stops.

"Even on holiday, my wife was a little bit angry that I kept popping off to try and sign someone from Wolves, but it's all part of the fun."

'Heartbroken'

Bloomfield left Wycombe Wanderers to join Luton after the departure of Rob Edwards in January. The Hatters were 20th in the Championship table at the time, two points above the relegation zone.

Luton's form eventually improved - they lost just once in nine Championship games heading into the final day against West Bromwich Albion.

Many expected Luton to survive but they lost 5-3 on a devastating day for the club.

The Hatters became only the fourth club in the Premier League era to experience successive relegations after a season in the top flight, following Swindon Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland.

Bloomfield admitted the scars of that final day still linger.

"Yeah, it'll never go," he said.

"The boys were heartbroken. The staff were heartbroken. It was incredibly painful, incredibly painful. And like I say, that will never leave us.

"I think you learn more from your most painful memories than you do from the best memories because they teach you lessons of how you need to evolve and be better for the future.

"So no, the pain will never go of that day at West Brom, but it's fuel. It's fuel to get better and fuel to drive this football club on to more."

'New core'

As he prepares for life in League One, Bloomfield has started a major rebuild of his squad.

Striker Carlton Morris and midfielder Thelo Aasgaard have departed, while Nahki Wells, Hakeem Odoffin, and Lonwijk are among eight players to have been signed.

"It was the right thing for a couple of players to move on," Bloomfield said.

"The challenge this summer has been players that have played at the top level of the game being wanted elsewhere, and how we manage that situation and how I adapt to that situation has been crucial.

"It was the right thing for us to freshen it up as well."

He added: "I think maybe not the toughest part, just the one that we've been most open to is that psychological effect of what's happened over the last three years going up and down a couple of levels.

"And then what does it need to look like for us to be successful again?

"Evolving the group. Getting a new group to gel. Getting some experienced boys on board was crucial to us building a new core group in the changing room."

Luton open the League One season with a home game against AFC Wimbledon on on Friday, 1 August, and Bloomfield has plenty of experience in the third tier as a player and manager at Wycombe.

"I know the level extremely well," he said.

"There's going to be lots of different challenges within the game. Some are going to be physical, other games are going to be more tactical and football-based.

"And we have to have a group that's able to adapt to those different games to win them."