Euro 2016: Eidur Gudjohnsen picked for 23-man Iceland squad at the tender age of 37
Veteran former Chelsea, Tottenham and Barcelona ace insists he will still be ‘influential’ part of the team in France
EIDUR GUDJOHNSEN has been picked for Iceland’s 23-man squad for Euro 2016 – 20 years after making his international debut.
Former Chelsea, Tottenham, Bolton and Barcelona ace Gudjohnsen, now 37, insists that he will not be a passenger at the tournament in France.
Gudjohnsen, who currently plays for Molde in Norway, said: “I'm delighted, I played my first game for the national team 20 years ago, so it's a bit of an icing on the cake - but it's not just that.
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“I'm not going there just to travel there. Hopefully I can play an influential part in the team.”
Gudjohnsen, Iceland’s record scorer with 25 goals, will not be the oldest player to feature at a European Championship, however. That title goes to Germany’s Lothar Matthaus at Euro 2000 – who played the age of 39.
Iceland will also have not one, but two head coaches in France. Lars Lagerback will be joined by Heimir Hallgrimsson. After the Euros, Lagerback will retire and Hallgrimsson will take sole charge.
Iceland Euro 2016 squad
GOALKEEPERS: Hannes Halldorsson (Bodo/Glimt), Ingvar Jonsson (Sandefjord), Ogmundur Kristinsson (Hammarby).
DEFENDERS: Kari Arnason (Malmo), Hjortur Hermannsson (PSV Eindhoven), Haukur Heidar Hauksson (AIK), Sverrir Ingi Ingason (Lokeren), Hordur Magnusson (Cesena), Birkir Saevarsson (Hammarby), Ragnar Sigurdsson (Krasnodar), Ari Skulason (OB).
MIDFIELDERS: Birkir Bjarnason (Basel), Theodor Elmar Bjarnason (AGF), Eidur Gudjohnsen (Molde), Johann Gudmundsson (Charlton), Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff), Emil Hallfredsson (Udinese), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea), Runar Mar Sigurjonsson (Sundsvall), Arnor Ingvi Traustason (Norrkoping).
STRIKERS: Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (Kaiserslautern), Alfred Finnbogason (Augsburg), Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Nantes).
