Nordas feels he has become a 'better footballer' having struggled to adapt to life at Luton

Despite finding it a struggle to initially settle into English football, Luton forward Lasse Nordas insists he is most definitely a better player now following almost a year’s experience of life with the Hatters.

The 23-year-old was a surprise addition to the Kenilworth Road squad back on February 1, signed to try and score the goals that would save Town, then in the Championship, from relegation, despite having never experienced life outside of Norway before, having played all of his career in his home country. Coming through at Lillestrom, Nordas then joining Strommen in 2020, before a spell with Eliteserien side Bodø/Glimt, heading to Tromso in 2023, first on loan and then permanently, spending two years at the Romssa Arena, as it was his record of nine goals and four assists in 28 top flight matches that earned him his transfer deadline day move to Luton.

Used sparingly by previous manager Matt Bloomfield, the former Norway U21s attacker made 10 appearances in the second tier, but started just twice, failing to find the net as the Hatters dropped back into League One. Impressing during pre-season, Nordas had to bide his time once more when the campaign kicked off, as it wasn’t until the trip to Burton Albion on August 30 that he was finally up and running for his new club, picking out the bottom corner via a slight deflection.

Nordas then scored again in the 4-1 Vertu Trophy victory over Barnet, as he was starting to become used more by Bloomfield until he paid the price for a poor run of results, sacked in early October. Since Jack Wilshere was appointed, the forward has struggled for game time, making just two substitute outings, with Town’s manager asking him to become more ‘aggressive’ in his approach if he is to start featuring on a regular basis.

He did get his chance from the opening whistle against Exeter City in the Vertu Trophy on Tuesday night, netting a first goal for three months, heading home Milli Alli’s cross and then crashing home a second from Joe Johnson’s free kick. He went close to a hat-trick after the break, but speaking to the press afterwards, asked if it took a while to adapt to life in Bedfordshire, Nordas said: “Yes, it did. The first two weeks was like a new world for me, the football they were playing and everything, after that I felt like, okay I get it now. It’s different from what I’m used to. The way we play now is pretty much what I’m used to, maybe even a little better I would say because I get involved more.

"I’m used to basically just pinning the defenders, letting the team play and then trying to score. I’m there for crosses, I like the way we’ve started playing now, controlling the game a bit more, more ways of getting chances and it’s a big difference, but I’m starting to get used to it. I’m a lot stronger, a bit faster and have been working on a few things that were different in the game from what I’m used to, like the aerial duels, long balls and fighting for stuff.

“I would say I’ve become a much better footballer and that is the goal for me, that is what I work for, development. Obviously I want to play, want to score, do all of that, but for me, it’s for myself, developing, getting better, physically, mentally, technically and I’ve done that so I’m happy, hopefully I can show it more.”

Having been brought up playing in his home country, then asked whether English football is a lot different to what he had been used to previously in his career, Nordas, who praised the style of play that has been brought by Wilshere already, continued: “Yes, it is, it’s a lot more tactical in Norwegian football. We can keep the ball, but the way we’ve started playing now with the new manager is more similar to what I’m used to. Keeping the ball, playing teams low, a lot more physical, more X-factor, power, physique, maybe not more technical, but it’s a step up. Even in this league it’s a lot harder than the Norwegian league that I’m used to.

“First thing I think of is the way we’re controlling the game now, more balls on the floor. We get to keep the ball, the goalie can stand with the ball for a little while, we don’t feel too stressed about that. We can play going one side, going another one, and it is hard in this league as people don’t want you to do that, people want you to fight, so it’s not been perfect every time. But we work on that and as you see, when we do it (against Exeter), obviously with a team that’s not played too much together, but we still know the concept and we’ve been working how to play and we do that really well. They’re struggling, they want to fight and we’re not letting them get the fight. We just play the ball and they have no chance.”

Having played on Tuesday night and scored twice, then with Town’s forwards struggling for goals this term, Jerry Yates with five from 19 outings the only genuine striker expected to be fit and available, Nahki Wells, Ali Al-Hamadi and Elijah Adebayo all out injured, Nordas will head to League Two Fleetwood Town this weekend hoping to make his first appearance in one of the world’s oldest cup competitions, adding: “I hope so. It’s the FA Cup, I’ll do what I get told to, hopefully I get to play and it’s about doing this every week, every game.

"That’s the hardest part of this, be happy today maybe, go home and reset for the next one, keep on working hard as it’s only one game. I would say there are too many good players in this team as everyone deserves to play, everyone deserves to start most of the games. We have a lot of good players who are not even involved in the squad, so it must be good for the competition, but it’s tough for the people who don’t play too much.”