Latest Iron signing Luke Williams spoke on how his return to the Attis Arena came around after a six-year absence, along with providing an insight into his experiences in the Icelandic second division with Víkingur Ólafsvík.
Firstly, Williams gave his initial response to rejoining United by saying: "It’s a real happy one. It’s been great to be back in the building and seeing those familiar faces from when I was previously here."
Since his departure in 2018, Williams has plied his trade back in his homeland of the north-east with Hartlepool United and Gateshead. However, it’s his latest club that draws the most attention due his three-year stint in Iceland: “Most recently, I played in Iceland which was an experience in itself to be honest, but it was something that I needed to do for myself and by going away and playing a whole bunch of games it’s allowed me to get back to where I needed to be.
"It was certainly cold out there but it’s an amazing country despite the fact it takes a while to get used to, for example the pace of life and being away from my family was the hardest thing I found because you find yourself with not much to do."
In response to answering a question on what drew him to the opportunity to play abroad, Williams stated: “The opportunity came about by speaking to my mate who’s been over there for 12 years and from what he said it seemed like a good opportunity at the right time for me to go over there and test myself in a new environment.”
After returning from Iceland at the end of their league season he described what drew him back to the Attis Arena years after his first departure: "Ultimately what’s brought me back to the club was wanting to be part of something successful, which I think this club is going to be as it’s going to do everything it can to get back to where it was and return to the standards and positions of where it was previously.
"The club is in a very different position now to what I knew it as but that’s football and these things happen, the club is still the same size as it was back when I was here in League One and the foundations are there to help build something really special."
Williams has been training behind the scenes with the Iron for upwards of six weeks after initially joining up with Andy Butler’s squad to maintain fitness. During that time he has been introduced to the Scunthorpe squad and had this to say on how he’s found his return: “It’s been really good, we’ve had some tough training sessions and despite the fact I only really know Boycey (Andrew Boyce) from when I was here before the squad we have is really talented and it’s a great group of lads."
After not receiving international clearance to play against Buxton last week, Williams is now available for selection and will be hoping to feature in the Iron’s upcoming encounter with Warrington Rylands: “I think it was Monday when I got the phone call to say I was cleared to play so it’s great to get that confirmed now, I’m excited for this weekend because all any footballer wants is to feature in games and to be here seeing the stadium and the pitch again just makes me grateful to be back involved.”
