Portsmouth Football Club News

With his background as an Icelandic trawlerman Hermann Hreidarsson is not exactly a player to mess with. But it’s not just toughness that makes the defender special. It’s the size of his heart. There are more gifted players at Fratton Park than Hreidarsson, but there’s none more passionate. When Pompey got into relegation trouble last winter it was the full-back with the finger-crushing handshake who helped drag them out of it. After half-a-season out of favour Hreidarsson returned to the team and scored in a 2-0 win over Manchester City at Fratton Park that sparked a mini-revival under Paul Hart. The left-back can make things happen with the force of his will, like at Stoke a week later when he charged towards the penalty area like a rugby prop forward and fired off a shot that deflected in off Ryan Shawcross for an injury-time equaliser. It’s why the news that Hreidarsson will be at Fratton Park again next season was generally greeted with delight by fans. Few players embody the spirit of Pompey more than the Hermannator. There will always be glitzier players in the Blues side than the Iceland international but no-one will be giving it more in a 50-50 tackle or when the ball’s there to be headed in the box. “I’ve had a good couple of years at Pompey and I wanted to stay,” said the 34-year-old, whose new one-year deal at Fratton Park includes the option of another season if he plays a certain number of games. “It’s a great place and I’m delighted to be coming back. My memories of the club are very fond. “The fans are fantastic. I feel I’ve got a really good relationship with them and when I play I want show how much I appreciate them.” Hreidarsson, of course, was part of the defence that conceded just one goal in six games when Pompey won the FA Cup in 2008. It’s a moment in the opposing box that sticks in the mind, however: at Preston in the fifth round when, again in injury-time, he got on the end of a corner and forced Darren Carter to slice the ball into his own net for the winner. “Winning the FA Cup was one the best days of my career,” he recalled. “It’s something I will cherish for the rest of my life. It’s not an easy thing to win, so it’s a great achievement. “Last season was different. We found ourselves in trouble towards the bottom of the table, but the team showed a lot character to get out of it. “We needed a lot of players with strong heads to get through it. We won some important home games but just as vital were the away games we didn’t lose against other teams around us, like at Stoke, Hull and Newcastle.” After a break back in Iceland Hreidarsson is looking forward to returning to training with Pompey on July 9. But not before some time at home with his wife Ragna – who captained Iceland’s women’s football team – and their daughters. Hreidarsson said: “I’m very happy with my family down here, which was another factor in my decision. Our girls are settled and happy at school. It’s a very nice part of the world.”

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