I won Euros with Man Utd's hero, but then struggled with depression for 30 years
Don't worry about a game of two halves, for 60-year-old former Danish striker Lars Elstrup it has been a life of two halves.
For the first 30 years, his passion was football and realizing his dream by becoming a professional.
Elstrup believes he has achieved his utopia by helping his country win Euro 92, playing a key role by scoring the decisive goal in their 2-1 win over France – their final must-win group match.
But after quitting the game at just 30, he has spent the last three decades battling depression and subsequently being diagnosed with bipolar.
But through the darkness, he has discovered spirituality and is smiling again thanks to his Indian guru, His Holiness Parama Pujya Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji.
Elstrup said: “It is true that since I stopped playing football, in my mind I have been looking for this place where I am without worries and fears.
“I believe I have now found it with my Indian guru. I stopped playing when I was 30. I was exhausted, my body and mind were damaged.
“What I have learned over the past thirty years is that I have to look elsewhere to find myself again.
“My Indian guru has a higher consciousness and helps me escape from a busy world. Somewhere where I can enjoy a happy and joyful life.
“When I stopped playing football I looked at all the different ways to gain my mental strength in a spiritual world with yoga and meditation exercises.
“I keep my body and mind in order. My last depression ended on January 1, 2022.”
As children grew up, Elstrup and his older brother, Peter, would play football forever.
Elstrup followed his sibling from their local team Randers Freja to Brondby, before quickly being spotted by Dutch club Feyenoord.
He spent two seasons with the Dutch club before returning to Odense, where he scored 17 goals in 28 league games in the 1988/89 season.
His impressive scoring ability caught the eye of Ray Harford at Luton, who were then in England's top flight, the old Division One, and they signed him for £850,000 in 1989.
Elstrup said: “When I joined Luton it was for a club record fee.
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“When I look back on my time at Luton, I cannot express my gratitude to the players and management enough.
“It took me ten games before I scored my first goal at Millwall, but the camaraderie, team spirit and help they gave me was incredible.
“I knew very little about the Hatters when I joined, apart from the fact that they won the Littlewoods Cup in 1988.
“The club was in transformation with players when I joined.
“We had to win the last game of the season in Derby to stay alive and we did that.
“The following season I scored 19 goals – 15 in the league, including three hat-tricks – the most goals in a single season by a Danish player in the English top flight, a record that still stands to this day.
“In an identical twist, we also had to beat Derby that season to stay at home. It was my last game for the club at Kenilworth Road.
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“I scored the second goal and won the match. I left at the end of the 1990-91 season.
“I was homesick and wanted to return to Odense in 1991, which I did.”
But Elstrup was about to experience a football fairytale when Denmark was called up late for the Euro 92 in Sweden.
He said: “I was on holiday staying at my parents' summer house.
“It was two or three days before the European Championships when I was contacted and asked to be part of the squad.
“Yugoslavia had qualified before us, but a civil war had caused them to withdraw from the tournament. We had to beat France in our last group match.
“They were undefeated in 22 games. I came on in the 68th minute and scored the winner ten minutes later. We qualified for the semi-finals. It was pretty incredible.
'It was very emotional for me'
“Peter Schmeichel then saved a penalty from Marco van Basten in the semi-final shootout with the Netherlands.
“I converted one of the penalties and we defeated Germany in the final. It was an absolute fairy tale.
“The day after we went to Denmark for an incredible welcome.”
On April 24 last year, the former Hatters favorite made a surprise appearance at Kenilworth Road for the first time in 32 years.
Elstrup was the Hatters' guest of honor for their 2-1 win over Middlesbrough.
He added: “It was very emotional for me to be welcomed with such warmth by the management and fans.
“I was greeted with a big smile at reception and CEO Gary Sweet canceled a meeting to see me.
“I had never met him before. I wanted to shake his hand, but he said: 'Come here, Lars, that's not enough' and gave me a big hug. I felt very humbled.
“Being back at Kenilworth Road brought back so many good memories.”
- The Unhappy Hero is published by Pitch and costs £25.