Gudjohnsen doesn’t quite share Lampard’s humour

EIDUR GUDJOHNSEN (right) just could not understand what Frank Lampard found so funny.

Moments after Iceland’s injury-time victory over Austria to set up tomorrow’s roundof-16 showdown with England, Lampard sent a text message to his former Chelsea teammate. The ex-England midfielder, it would appear, found it hilarious that Iceland would be playing his country in the knockout rounds of a major tournament.

Gudjohnsen was not so amused. ‘Frank Lampard sent me a text laughing at the fact we are facing England,’ revealed Iceland’s greatest-ever player, his deadpan delivery both cutting and deliberate.

‘In what sense (he found it funny), I don’t really know.’

Those inside the room at the Hotel Novotel in the idyllic Alpine town of Annecy laughed at the drollness of the 37-yearold holding court.

Gudjohnsen did not laugh, and nor was he joking on Thursday when he stepped forward during a team meeting and took the floor from co-manager Lars Lagerback. He could have congratulated his comrades on making history by making it this far or suggested they celebrate with a trip to the cobbled streets of Annecy and its lakeside bars with mountain views. He did neither.

‘We woke up very happy after the Austria game (Wednesday’s 2-1 win), we were all very happy with the situation we were in,’ said Gudjohnsen, Iceland’s only Champions League winner.

‘But I asked the players — and myself — if we were happy and had we reached our goal? Or, do we have more in us to go further? ‘This is the biggest moment in the footballing history of Iceland. I’m a little bit afraid England have got their best game still to come, but you have to respect the way we prepare and play our game.

‘We know we’re the underdog but we’ve shown why we deserve to be at the finals and we will do everything we can to stay here.’

If they do, then perhaps it will be Gudjohnsen sending a text message to Lampard.