Luton’s Marvin Johnson is the Hatters’ answer to Preston’s Sir Tom Finney, a one club man who was revered by his home supporters during a very long career at Kenilworth Road.

Marvin you came into the Luton Town side during what was a real halcyon era for the club.
I made my debut in 1988, I was about 18 or 19. I remember making my full league debut against Wimbledon, it was a bit of a baptism of fire against John Fashanu and the Crazy Gang, we lost 2-0 on the day but it is something I will always remember. I remember playing in the Simod Cup for my first debut, we played against Everton at Goodison, we won that 2-0 and as a kid that was a good experience. As a kid to become a professional footballer is the ultimate desire and at the time when you are playing against the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal I was probably taking that for granted. When I look how difficult it would be be for a club like Luton to do that these days, to get into the top flight and play against the likes of those clubs it was a great experience.

The Hatters had three trips to Wembley, the highlight of which was the League Cup win over Arsenal.
The first year when we got to the Littlewoods Cup Final and we won it I played in a couple of games in the earlier rounds. I was quite a fixture with the squad that season anyway and I was also involved in the squad for the final, at the time they only had two subs on the day so I was very close to being involved in some aspect in that game.

Brian Stein is still at the club now and he scored two of the goals, Arsenal were the favourites and obviously we were the underdogs but the fact that we were there involved in it and to come out winners was an amazing achievement and a brilliant occasion.

What are your personal highlights of playing for Luton during that time?
As a boy you always have a team you support and mine was Liverpool and I had posters on my wall of Kenny Dalglish. I had the privilege of playing against Kenny when he was player manager at Anfield, I did have a picture of me marking him on a set-piece and that was a memorable occasion for me, to play against your idol and to play at Anfield, even though we got smashed 4-0. Those are the memories for me from that time, players I looked up to when I was growing up, playing against Charlie Nicholas at Arsenal, Bryan Robson at Manchester United, you take them for granted when you are playing but now when I look back they are good memories.

What was the turning point which led to Luton’s demise?
We were very unlucky because that season we won the Littlewoods Cup was the first season that English clubs were banned from Europe. When we did get relegated it was the year before it turned into the Premiership and if we had stayed in it a couple more years we would have got a lot of money from the Premier League and that was a turning point.

Later in your career you was joined by a youthful Graham Alexander.
He has turned into a very comfortable, very good footballer. He came from Scunthorpe when we signed him and he was very young but he was technically very good footballer and as you get older you get more experienced. I talk to kids about watching footballers and when Preston came down to Luton I told the kids to watch Graham because he is a very good footballer, he plays the way how I like the game to be played, he tries to pass it and he is very comfortable on the ball and he is a very good friend as well.

Is it true that the fans used to sing ‘Marvin for England’?
I don’t know about that! They used to shout that quite a bit when I was playing. I  still get on really well with the fans, I was at the club for 15 years and I was fortunate that the majority of the fans liked me.

Tell us about this goal which has been compared to Ricky Villa’s Cup Final goal?
I didn’t score too many goals. I scored about 11 goals in about 480 appearances. I’ve got the goals on video and they are not usually tap-ins, the one against Tranmere was probably one of the best goals I have scored. It was on my weaker foot, my right foot, after a bit of a mazy run and a decent finish at the end of the run so that was probably one of the best goals I have scored for the club.

You played at Deepdale a few times, what are your memories of playing at North End?
The pitch has always been very good and you can always have a good football game there. People tend to forget that Preston is a massive club and I don’t recall doing too well there as it happens but more often than not I enjoyed playing football there because the surface was of a high quality.

Luton’s Last Three League Visits To Deepdale

18th March 2000
PNE 1-0 Luton
A vital victory for David Moyes’ side as Iain Anderson scores to keep the Lilywhites on course for the League One Championship title.

16th January 1999
PNE 2-1 Luton
Supersub Jason Harris pops up with a 90th minute winner after Kurt Nogan cancels out an Andrew Fotiadis opener.

3rd March 1998
PNE 1-0 Luton
A rare Ryan Kidd effort is the difference between the two sides as Habib Sissoko makes one of four starts for Preston North End.