WIKI-MISLEADIA MIGHT best describe an entry that appeared under Hermann Hreidarsson's profile on the online encyclopedia recently. According to an "editor" clearly out to have fun, Iceland's captain had been set to take part in a wrestling bout, only to pull out after being mocked by Mickey Rourke.
The actor, whose celluloid rumbles-in-the-ring earned him an Oscar nomination, was supposed to have taken exception to a namby-pamby footballer thinking he could cut it in a true body-battering environment.
It wasn't difficult to expose this news
snippet as fictitious. The 6ft 4in "Herminator", a hyper, hilarious, wind-up-and-duff-up madcap character, is neither one of those pampered pros who would elicit such sneering nor a man who would decline the chance to grapple for fear he might wound person or pride.
Hreidarsson had no such thoughts when last year he broke the collar bone of a member of the Icelandic backroom team after a little horse play got out of hand. Or, when in pre-season with Portsmouth two years ago, he set upon team-mate Glen Little for a bit of fun, threw him off a chair and ended up injuring the winger's toe. Or, when so inebriated at the club's FA Cup final celebrations last May that Harry Redknapp had to step in for fear he was going to fall off the platform while holding aloft owner Sacha Gaydamak.
"What can I say about Hermann?" says Scotland manager George Burley of the left-back he will renew acquaintances with at Hampden on Wednesday, little under nine years after he paid a club record fee of £4.5 million to take him to Ipswich from Wimbledon. "He is a fantastic professional, has a huge heart. A lovely lad, he is a proud captain of his nation, one of these guys who pulls himself upright and battles, and you love to have on the training ground."
Except, perhaps, when he is setting about team-mates for the sheer hell of it, his relish of the rough and tumble perhaps related to growing up playing handball in Iceland. Of a pursuit he still indulges in when he goes home, he has said it is "physical and exciting". Whereas, he is physical and excitable in a fashion that has always succeeded in endearing him to colleagues and supporters. His antics have made him a cult figure at all six English clubs he has played for since his move to Crystal Palace from Icelandic champions ÍBV Vestmannaeyjar in 1997.
A relatively late starter, he was part-time until his move to London following the completion of a degree in building engineering at the age of 21. To earn a living then, he worked in various fish factories, on trawlers and in the building trade. "Football is a privilege and better than being out in a trawler in a Force 10," he has said. "These jobs, they are the sort that make the world tick."
Hreidarsson has never been able to make the fortunes of his clubs tick along neatly. He has suffered relegation at those he has played for in the English top flight, with Palace, Wimbledon, Ipswich and Charlton all dropping out despite the player being seen as precisely the warrior-type required for such scraps. A "great character, a good man and someone who would run through brick walls for you" is how Redknapp praised him last year.
His rampaging qualities did not seem quite so much to the liking of his successor Tony Adams. Falling out of the first-team picture late in 2008, there was much speculation he could attract bids from both Celtic and Rangers in January.
"I thought about the prospect and fancied the idea but I had a word with Tony and he didn't want to let me go," Hreidarsson, who lives in Dorset with wife Ragna, also an Icelandic football internationalist, and four daughters, said last month. "I spoke to a few people on the phone who were definitely interested. But it was up to the club and I couldn't leave if they didn't want me to. My contract is up in the summer and I'll be free to leave then if I wish."
If he does so, the player's fervent hope will be that his exit does not come on the back of a fifth Premier League demotion. Now with caretaker manager Paul Hart in charge of team affairs, a penurious Portsmouth – who it has been reported could struggle to remain viable if they do not find a new backer – have rallied since Hreidarsson stormed back into the senior side. He has picked up four cautions in his last six games alone. Indeed, he earned a booking against Stoke City last month for deliberately riling Liam Lawrence by continually walking up to him and yanking up his collar.
Hreidarsson won't be a popular figure among the Tartan Army, meanwhile, after he himself got hot under the collar about Scotland's World Cup win in Reykjavik last September. The defender last year took his country's captaincy from Iceland's one idol Eidur Gudjohnsen, who as lone striker found himself isolated. In his role of team spokesman his exuberance has been in contrast to the mellow nature of the Barcelona forward. Never more so with his perplexing "we wuz robbed" assessment of the 2-1 win for Burley's side. He declared Iceland "bitter over the whole thing" as "it wasn't an even game that we lost; we were the much better team". And in typical fashion, he ended his post-match moan with a "Hreidarsson howitzer" to rival the humungous throw-ins he is noted for. "And as for the referee? We have to give him a reward for being boring. He threatened to book me just for walking towards him. I don't think he smiled once."
Living life in a lifeless fashion seems unforgivable to Hreidarsson, whose untamed, free-spirited approach can be traced to growing up on the remote Westmann islands, off the southern coast of Iceland. He was born in Reykjavik because Heimaey, the only populated island, had then been evacuated following a volcano in 1973.
An important rite of passage for him seems to have been taking part in Puffin Patrols at the end of each summer. Youngsters would rescue and tend for young birds who had injured themselves flying into lampposts.
"It was a big sport for us as kids," Hreidarsson said in an interview two years ago. "You'd take a box around and always try to get as many as you could for bragging rights. Then you would take them to the beach the day after and let them go. On the best nights we'd catch about 30.
"It was an absolute privilege to have been raised there because it's such a free-spirited upbringing. You don't lock your houses, you leave your keys in the car, you walk out of the house when you're five years old and say 'Listen, I'll be back in five hours' and off you go."
Even at five, he probably sloped off to spear giant whales using only lollipop sticks. Look out for that appearing as his Wikipedia entry next week.
ICELAND'S KEY MEN
EIDUR GUDJOHNSENWith 23 goals for Iceland, the Barcelona striker, right, is his country's leading scorer. Although his time in La Liga has hardly been prolific, he proved he can cut it at the highest level by netting two in a pre-season friendly against Hibs.
HERMANN HREIDARSSONA stalwart, with more than 80 caps, the Portsmouth defender can play left-back or in the middle. He's known to pop up with a goal or two as well.
HEIDAR HELGUSONScotland defenders will need to be on their toes when dealing with the 5ft10in QPR striker, renowned for his salmon-like (or should that be cod-like? No, don't mention the war…) leaping and heading abilities.
GRETAR STEINSSONThe ever-present Bolton right-back came off the bench to win his first cap in 2002 during a friendly against Brazil, scoring after 17 minutes on the pitch.
ARON GUNNARSSON Watch for the Coventry midfielder running the length of the pitch to take Iceland's throw-ins. Playing handball as a youth has endowed him with Rory Delap-esque chucking abilities.
BRYNJAR GUNNARSSON The tough-tackling Reading defensive midfielder also pitches in with the odd goal.
EGGERT JONSSONThe Hearts midfielder, left, faces a battle to add to his two caps, with the Gunnarssons among several more experienced players in the midfield ranks.
