EXCLUSIVE: Former Luton Town forward Lars Elstrup has finally found his smile again

Former Luton striker Lars Elstrup has thankfully finally found his smile again after spending 15 years battling against depression.

The 60-year-old ex-Denmark international moved to Kenilworth Road from Odense BK back in 1989 for a then club record fee of £850,000, when the club were plying their trade in Division One.

He played two seasons, scoring an impressive 27 goals in 70 appearances, before a move back to his home country, turning out for Odense once more.

However, Elstrup retired aged just 30 in 1993 and six years later turned to becoming a Devotee of his Holiness Parama Pujya Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji.

The Dane returned to Luton for the very first time since leaving on Friday, and is now attending Monday’s game against Middlesbrough as a guest of the club.

Speaking about the mental health battles he has faced and how he has hopefully put them to rest, Elstrup said: “I was 30 years old and I knew when I signed the contract with Odense that after those two years, I would end my career.

“I decided maybe four or five years before that when I was 30 I would end my career.

“I’ve entered into spirituality.

"I could not smile anymore, so I wanted to find my smile again.

"I went into spirituality and the spirituality world, and these past 30 years, its been up and down, good times and bad times.

"I got out of my last depression, I’ve had five depressions, each three years, 15 years I’ve spent in depression, not wanting to go out and the last one ended on the first of January 2022.

"That is 16 months ago, now I am watching myself, daily, to see if my smile is there, which it is.

“It’s no fun being in depression and when you get through it and you find the basic values of life, I keep track of myself, then I should be forever happy.”

Even something as simple as following the fortunes of his old clubs which include the Hatters, Randers Freja, Brøndby and Feyenoord was too difficult for Elstrup when he was really struggling, as he continued: “When you go down, you go down on interest in football, old clubs, anything in society, as you cannot cope.

"I cannot manage to take things in, and then I am scared of the world outside.

“So when I have my ups I follow football as I love football.

"I love the game and to go out playing and the interaction and you have your own what you do on your own and you own kind of success, but also working as a team, and the team effort you put in is a great experience.

"When things go right and you score a goal and you make a win and the beer in the dressing room tastes good afterwards.”

Although it was some 30-plus years since he last stepped foot inside the stadium and Luton as a town itself, Elstrup was thrilled to make the trip back to his old stomping ground this week.

He continued “It’s great to be back and I am finding out how beautiful Luton is and how good a club it is.

"How whole-hearted and keeping traditional ways of taking care of players and a football club, how much this means to Luton.

"I also spoke to a 61-year-old delivery guy and he said that Luton are in the top five of the most traditional clubs in Britain and I am finding out this which I was not aware of during my playing time.

“I wanted to get out of town from Odense and thought about going to Randers, my home town, and then I also saw that my guru has a Hindu temple in Brentford.

“So I came to visit that first thing, and then naturally I was thinking after that, I wanted to see Luton again, so that’s the two main reasons.”

The Dane also was happy to see the ground hadn’t changed much since he was last pulling on a Hatters shirt and running out in front of the supporters himself, although the infamous plastic pitch has now long gone in favour of a grass playing surface.

He said: “It’s pretty much the same and I like it.

"I saw the walk through the passage from the stadium to the apartments, saw the Oak stand, went on the tour guide.

"We saw the way into the stands, it is spectacular, it is one of a kind.

"The stadium, experiencing this and being told by Graham the guide how things work, the dug-outs, the stands, the colours of the seatings and it’s made of wood, it all makes it a special experience to see that again.”

He now can’t wait to see his old side in action against Boro in what could be a play-off dress rehearsal in a few days time, adding: “The club is taking care of me, Gary (Sweet) the CEO, he said when he met me, ‘Lars you were my biggest hero,’ and he said we will take care of you.

"So he booked me into a hotel for four nights and I’m now going to the training ground to watch them and then on Monday, game night, I look so much forward to it, that is ever so great.

“It would be great if Luton made it to the Premier League.”