And for the next in our ongoing series.
Continuing with our on-going series, although I must offer my apologies for the gap between this and the last contribution, we arrive at the letter E.
Now you might be surprised to know that only 6 players with that letter, at the start of their surname, have pulled on a Hatters shirt, those six being,
? Carlos Edwards
? Paul Elliott
? Dave Edwards
? Lars Elstrup
? Lewis Emanuel
? Carl Emberson
Now I was tempted to select Paul Elliott (and he may feature next time around) but after sleeping on it I decided to go for Lars Elstrup.
Elstrup, a Dane, started off in Danish lower league football, playing for Randers Sportsklub Freja, scoring regularly, before moving to Denmark`s top side (at the time) Brondby IF. His stay there was brief, making just seven appearances but notching two goals before the Dutch giants, Feyenoord snapped him up.
His spell in Rotterdam only lasted two seasons before he was back in Danish football playing for Odense BK. But, having rediscovered his scoring form and also getting back into the Danish national side, Elstrup was soon to try his hand in English football.
On 21st August 1989, Elstrup joined the Hatters in a deal that cost Luton£850,000, a club record at the time. Elstrup was to stay at Kenilworth Road for two seasons, scoring 18 goals and also playing a significant role in keeping us in the old First Division back in 1990/1991.
Luton sold Elstrup back to Odense for under a quarter of what they had paid for him and without his goal-scoring prowess, Luton were subsequently relegated. But, back in his homeland, Elstrup retired early, disillusioned with the lifestyle and joined a spiritual sect. Odense gave him another chance to get back into the game, in 2000, but it never materialised and Lars now lives in Vissenbjerg, living something of a reclusive life.
