Gylfi Sigurdsson recalls the ridicule of team mates when, as a teenager at Reading’s youth Academy, he said he would play at a World Cup.
“I just remember people saying, ‘You are from Iceland you are never going to play in the finals of a major tournament’,” says the Everton midfielder.
The teasing turned to squirms when Iceland humiliated England at Euro 2016. Now Sigurdsson’s World Cup prophecy is realised. His country’s first ever appearance comes against Argentina tomorrow, incredulity long since replaced with respect.
“I am very stubborn, so when people said you are never going to play in a World Cup because you are from Iceland, I always believed I would,” says Sigurdsson.
“I probably didn’t think through how you would have to qualify and how hard it would be for us. That makes it even more satisfying that people did not think it could happen. It’s fantastic, especially for a small country to show that it is possible.”