"I've settled in very well. The team has been so nice, I know the gaffer, all the surroundings has made it very easy to settle in for me personally and in the team. And the support I've received from all the fans has been amazing".

Lucas Andersen joined Queens Park Rangers as a free agent in February and while it's early days, he could prove to be a truly lucky strike for The Hoops if his first days are anything to go by. And why shouldn't they be? Joining from Danish side Aalborg, the Danish midfielder looks to have slotted in seamlessly, taking part in seven games, four from the start, and he knows who to thank.

"The support from the fans has been amazing, both away and at home. So even though you may be a little tired at some point in the game, you just keep on going because you see how much it means to everybody," says Andersen in an exclusive talk with Tribalfootball.

Belief in own abilities

Due to the long winter break in the second-best Danish league, Lucas Andersen last played an official game on November 12 last year, while his last full game was on September 29. Having recently played three games against Leicester, West Bromwich and Middlesbrough in seven days, he's quickly gotten a taste of the relentless pace of The Championship.

"I told them when I started, whether it's five minutes, ten minutes, one hour, I will give everything until I'm empty. Obviously, it's very nice that I'm now a part of the starting eleven and contributing to the team," says Andersen who has joined in with three assists already. Is he surprised?

"I wouldn't say surprised. But of course, I was a little curious about the level of both the training and the games, everything really. But then you get into it and suddenly you just raise your own level because the team has so much quality and we help each other to hopefully achieve a lot."

But how does one explain not being a regular in a Danish 1. Division side before jumping straight into the dog fight of a relegation battle in the Championship?

"It almost shouldn't be possible, I know, but I always felt very comfortable in my abilities, in what I can bring. I know my work ethic, I know the gaffer, and all things put together, I always believed I could make a difference with my abilities," Andersen explains in a tone of voice sounding much less confident than his actual words.

Judged on past instead of present

However, he's backed up the belief in himself with performances on the pitch and has already played three teams inside the top six, so how does he find the level of football?

"I think it's very, very high level, especially the physical side of it. The games are very dynamic, a lot of back and forth. People want to get stuck in and because we are in a relegation battle, there are a lot of emotions in the games. All that put together makes for a very high level on the pitch," says Andersen who is obviously enjoying a change of scenery after actually being released from his contract at Aalborg BK after six years.

"It's no secret that I was often held up against what I performed in the past in Aalborg. Every time it was a little bit below that, people were like, 'yeah, he's not the same, he can't do it anymore. He can't this and he can't that'.

"At the end of the day you get into a state of mind where you're maybe not able to perform at your best because you are known for what you did and not what you are at this point. So, I feel very happy that I got the opportunity to come here."

Feeling like a footballer again

In doing so he was re-connected to manager Marti Cifuentes, who he knew from his coaching days in Aalborg and had kept in contact with.

"I said to him more or less jokingly, 'if you need a player, I'm ready', but then suddenly there was an opportunity. My agent and I went here on the last day of the transfer window just to make sure that in case it could happen, that we wouldn't be four hours away on a plane."

Nevertheless, Andersen acknowledges he didn't expect his next move would be to join a side in the English Championship at this stage of his career.

"But it's always been a dream to compete in England and QPR is a very nice club. It's in London and what more can you ask for? I am one and a half months in, I'm enjoying myself and feeling more and more confident in the team.

"I was willing to get in just to prove myself, just to show that I was capable of bringing my level back up to where I felt that I could compete and to revive the dream of being a football player."

It has been a couple of tough years for the former Ajax-protégé, but things are finally looking up and with QPR above the relegation-line for the first time in months, it is no wonder the mood around Andersen and QPR is positive.

"It is great just feeling like a footballer again," as he says.

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