Harford is a modest manager, which is a far cry from his reputation as an aggressive, hard-edged striker

A more heart-warming tale in English football this season you will struggle to find. Just don’t expect Mick Harford, the Luton Town interim manager, to get all misty-eyed about it any time soon.

When Nathan Jones, the former manager, departed abruptly for Stoke City in January, Harford, the fearsome former Luton striker, inherited a team in rude health. However, given the remarkable run of results that has followed, propelling the club to the top of Sky Bet League One and the brink of the Championship, his assertion that he hasn’t had to do much no longer rings true.

Luton have lost once, nine days ago, since Harford took the reins — a club-record run stretching all the way back to October. What makes his place