NO MORE Mr N GUY

Aron and Gylfi put friendship on hold

ARON GUNNARSSON ranks Iceland teammate Gylfi Sigurdsson among the best players ever produced by his country.

But that won’t stop him from putting their 12-year friendship on hold at Everton tomorrow when he tries to continue the Cardiff revival.

The relationship between the two 29-year-old players goes back to when they were 17.

They still speak every day and will have a word tomorrow before the game starts.

“We are good mates and we get in touch every day. I’m looking forward to going up against him,” said Gunnarsson.

“It’s always difficult playing against a friend, but when the game starts it is all business. It is a matter of getting the three points. We first met when we played for the Iceland Under-17s team against Denmark.

“I am from the north of Iceland and it was the first time I had met the boys who were playing in Reykjavik. We grew from there into the good team we are now.

“Gylfi was good on the ball even then. He was taller than us and he has grown into a great player.

“He works ever so hard and he’s always the last one off the training pitch. There have been a few times when our bus has been ready to leave the training ground with Iceland and he’s still been out there on the pitch while we’re all ready to go back to the hotel.

“He is up there with the all-time greats of Icelandic football.

Magnificent

“We’ve had some great players, like Eidur Gudjohnsen, who was magnificent for Chelsea and the national team.

“But Gylfi is right up there, especially with the results we had in going to the Euros and the World Cup.

“I know how important he has been for Iceland and he is doing the same thing now for Everton in terms of creating chances, assists and scoring goals.”

The pair have only played against each other once in this country, five years ago when the Bluebirds were last in the Premier League and Sigurdsson was at Spurs, who won 1-0.

With two wins in their last four matches, Cardiff are two off the bottom and one point away from Newcastle in 14th.

The battle for survival will continue at Goodison, with the Icelandic tussle in midfield likely to be crucial to the outcome.

“It is going to be a hard task to stop him, but I feel like we are growing into the league,” Gunnarsson added.

“We have been showing quality and togetherness, but you can always progress.”