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Euro 2016

Iceland's 'band of brothers' shoot them into quarter-finals

Iceland skipper Aron Gunnarsson spoke on Monday about the sense of brotherhood that has fired his side to the last eight of Euro 2016.

Iceland's Aron Gunnarsson celebrates after the game against England.
Iceland's Aron Gunnarsson celebrates after the game against England. Reuters/Michael Dalder
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Iceland beat England 2-1 at the Stade de Nice to reach the latter stages of their first major international football tournament.

Gunnarsson, who plays for Cardiff City in England’s second division, said the players had known each other since their mid teens and had grown up together.

"We narrowly failed to get to the 2014 World Cup and after that we sat down and set ourselves a new target. It was to get to Euro 2016."

Iceland finished their qualifying group for the tournament in second place beating the Netherlands at home and away on their journey.

They ended the group stages in France in second place following draws with Portugal and Hungary as well as a last gasp victory over Austria.

"We’ve consistently performed well," said 27-year-old Gunnarrson. "And when we’re defending a lead we’re difficult to break down. You look at the guy next to you and you know that he’ll be there to cover for you if you’ve made a mistake. That’s just the Iceland mentality."

Several Iceland players after the game in Nice recounted their pride at confounding expectations. England skipper Wayne Rooney spoke before the match at how his team mates respected what Iceland had achieved during the tournament.

During the match itself, Rooney and his side appeared bemused by the combination of silk and steel in front of them. England were breached for the first time following a long throw and then secondly by intricate footwork on the edge of the box.

"When we conceded an early goal, I think we used it in a positive way," Gunnarrsson reflected. "We built and kept on going. When they scored we had nothing to lose. We kept working hard, kept the Iceland spirit going."

"It’s a wonderful achievement to get to the quarter-final. It shows the great character in the group. It’s a proud moment in our careers and captaining them is a highlight of my career."

But Gunarrsson said he wouldn’t let any of his team mates get ahead of themselves. "We can’t let the mentality that got us here slip away. We have to keep working hard and keep on progressing as a team."

"The tournament has put us on the map. It will perhaps help some players go on to bigger and better things. It will also inspire youngsters in Iceland. That’s how it works."

To read more articles on Euro 2016, click here.

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