Luton Town boss Matt Bloomfield sung the praises of Mads Andersen after the defender’s first goal in almost two years set the Hatters on their way to a 2-0 win at Peterborough United, preserving their 100 per cent League One start.
The Danish centre-back’s diving header from George Saville’s corner on the hour was his first since netting Luton’s first ever home Premier League goal against West Ham in September 2023. It broke the deadlock in a match that had been goalless and scrappy until half-time words from Bloomfield sparked a renewed second-half intensity.
“Mads has been the nicest gift in pre-season, after his injury hit a couple of seasons that he’s had at the club,” said Bloomfield. “He’s been, from day one, absolutely excellent, both in terms of his training – barely missed a session – and his performances have made him that position in the team. He’s been excellent.”
The 27-year-old’s steady presence has underpinned Luton’s defensive solidity, with the Hatters yet to concede this season, as he started in place of last season’s ever-present centre back Mark McGuinness, who has been playing catch-up after suffering with a viral illness during Town’s pre-season camp in Slovenia.
Andersen had only managed 19 appearance for Town across his first two seasons with the club, but has been talked up over the summer by Bloomfield and after beating Peterborough he told the BBC: “I really hope for him and for us that he retains that level of performance because he’s been absolutely excellent from day one in pre-season.”
Andersen’s goal came from a promising corner combination with Saville, while Jordan Clark capped off the win with a simple tap-in after Nahki Wells chased down Posh stopper Nicholas Bilokapic’s clearance.
Andersen’s comments after the opening-night win over AFC Wimbledon shed further light on his mindset and the road back to form. He admitted to the BBC, the past “year, 18 months” had been “difficult… just because of injuries and everything else” and that he had “never had a proper go in there for a while.” For him, the key now is continuity. “I’m gonna need those games coming continuously… and then I’ll be better and better,” he said.
The centre-back spoke of having high standards and a desire to keep improving, while he also gave a grounded view of the League One challenge, noting the physical, scrappy nature of matches, the battles for second balls and that even for a side strongly fancied for promotion, like Luton, “it’s never going to be as easy.” That realism, combined with his leadership and current form, suggests Bloomfield’s “gift” could yet be one of the most decisive players in Luton’s push for promotion.
Luton turn to Tuesday’s trip to Coventry in the League Cup next, with Andersen likely to take a back seat to help get McGuinness up-to-speed, though the Dane’s resurgence has become one of the cornerstones of their strong early-season results.
