AFTER securing the League One title and a forthcoming team trip to Las Vegas, Luton Town defender Matty Pearson says he is then looking forward to coming home to Keighley.

The former Oakbank School student is fresh from celebrating as Luton won a place in next season's Championship following a 3-1 win over Oxford United on Saturday, after they had sealed promotion on April 30.

The 25-year-old was a rock at the heart of Luton's defence this season, playing 52 games including every league clash for the Hatters.

Pearson has thrived at Kenilworth Road this season after joining from Barnsley. He previously played for Accrington Stanley after joining them from FC Halifax Town.

He is looking forward to a break in Sin City with his Luton team-mates this weekend, but can't wait to catch up with his nearest and dearest in Keighley.

Pearson said: "We are all going to Las Vegas this week. I've not really been home for three or four months, so it will be nice to come home during the summer. My family have all been down for the celebrations. It's been good.

"I have not seen much of my grandparents and see my mates. There are a lot of people for me to see.

"It's a special feeling, I'm over the moon.

"We always knew we would be going up. It went on longer than we would have liked, it went down to the last week. It is the best feeling ever. You could not wish for a better way to do it.

"Coming down here I didn't know how it would go. It's been a great move for me. It could not have gone any better.

"I have played 52 games this season. I played every league game. I can now have a well-earned rest. Playing a lot of games does not faze me."

Pearson says he was looking forward to taking on the Championship's best strikers and teams next season.

He added: "It's going to be a great experience. It will be special. There are so many big teams. The level of football will be better.

"It's going to be brilliant. It's a competitive league, with every game being a tough one. We've got to stick to the way we have been playing. We will see what next season brings.

"A lot of people wrote us off, but it's irrelevant what people think. Over the season we proved people wrong. When we went top of the league people wrote us off and changed their view.

"It's no problem, we will take every game as it comes."

The former Long Lee Juniors player, who can play centre-half, has also featured in the EFL for Rochdale, having been on Blackburn Rovers's books as a youngster.

He has represented England Under-18s and the England C non-league team in 2013.

In addition to his team's success, Pearson has also enjoyed individual recognition this season.

He was shortlisted for the PFA Bristol Street Motors Fans' League One player of the month prize for January. He also lost out on the EFL League One player of the month award for December.

Pearson says he was also looking forward to meeting new manager Graeme Jones for the first time this week.

The former Everton assistant manager replaces Mick Harford, who successfully led Luton to the second tier but will step down at the end of the season.

Jones spent 11 years working as assistant manager to Roberto Martinez, enjoying spells at Wigan, Everton and Belgium, and he now takes his first managerial role.