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Gudni Bergsson has revealed Wanderers could have signed nearly half of the Iceland team set to face England tonight.
The former club skipper recommended Birkir Bjarnason, Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, Hannes Halldorsson and Ragnar Sigurdsson to the Whites hierarchy while they were still coming through the youth systems in Iceland.
And he urged the current regime to use the network of former players they have on the continent to avoid making the same mistakes again.
“They would have been available for a very small fee at the time, even for free, but now they are worth millions and playing well at the European Championships,” Bergsson told The Bolton News.
“The club showed no interest at the time. But I think now they must start to utilise the links they have around Europe.
“We have players like Ivan Campo and Youri Djorkaeff who would help Bolton out with recommendations because they still care for Bolton Wanderers.”
Bergsson has been in France for the Euros to watch his home country upset the odds and qualify for the knockout stages.
A late winner against Austria last Wednesday booked their trip to Nice for tonight's game against England but the former Wanderers defender sees the potential for another upset.
“It will be difficult, of course,” he said. “But I think had they not scored against Austria, Croatia would arguably have been more difficult opponents (for Iceland).
“We do have a soft spot for England and when they qualified for the major tournaments in the past, people back in Iceland would cheer them on. Most people have a favourite English Premier League team – and I think quite a few have a favourite team in League One too now.
“If Iceland play to the best of their ability they certainly stand a chance.”
Bergsson believes Iceland have played slightly within themselves so far in the tournament, particularly going forward.
“I think they can still show a lot more quality going forward than they have so far,” he said. “I think we can be calmer on the ball, particularly at the back.
“I can see England having a lot of the ball, so we will have to be patient and stay organised.
“We have not got the strength in depth England have in their squad, so I am wondering if some of the players may be getting tired at this stage?
“But the spirit within this squad is immense and I think we can be very proud with what we have achieved so far and still cause a problem or two for England.”
Wanderers’ Icelandic links are stronger than any other club in the Football League, with so many former players coming from the northern isle.
When Bruce Rioch picked Bergsson up for just £65,000 in 1995, spotting him in a reserve game between Crystal Palace and West Ham, he eventually paved the way for Eidur Gudjohnsen, Gretar Steinsson, Heidar Helgusson, Arnar Gunnlaugsson, Olaf Snorasson and Birkir Kristinsson.
But why do Icelanders prosper so well in the North West? Bergsson has a view.
“I think Icelanders treasure the community you have in Bolton, the sense of togetherness,” he said. “I always considered it home and people treated me well.
“Once I had settled there, more and more players came in. We were able to support each other and built on that. It was the same for the Scandinavian players at the time too.
“The Icelandic mentality is that we adapt well to different surroundings and we like to consider ourselves hard workers who fit within a team shape.
“That helped at Bolton because it was all about the team. We were stronger as a team and not a collection of individuals.”
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The former club skipper recommended Birkir Bjarnason, Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, Hannes Halldorsson and Ragnar Sigurdsson to the Whites hierarchy while they were still coming through the youth systems in Iceland.
And he urged the current regime to use the network of former players they have on the continent to avoid making the same mistakes again.
“They would have been available for a very small fee at the time, even for free, but now they are worth millions and playing well at the European Championships,” Bergsson told The Bolton News.
“The club showed no interest at the time. But I think now they must start to utilise the links they have around Europe.
“We have players like Ivan Campo and Youri Djorkaeff who would help Bolton out with recommendations because they still care for Bolton Wanderers.”
Bergsson has been in France for the Euros to watch his home country upset the odds and qualify for the knockout stages.
A late winner against Austria last Wednesday booked their trip to Nice for tonight's game against England but the former Wanderers defender sees the potential for another upset.
“It will be difficult, of course,” he said. “But I think had they not scored against Austria, Croatia would arguably have been more difficult opponents (for Iceland).
“We do have a soft spot for England and when they qualified for the major tournaments in the past, people back in Iceland would cheer them on. Most people have a favourite English Premier League team – and I think quite a few have a favourite team in League One too now.
“If Iceland play to the best of their ability they certainly stand a chance.”
Bergsson believes Iceland have played slightly within themselves so far in the tournament, particularly going forward.
“I think they can still show a lot more quality going forward than they have so far,” he said. “I think we can be calmer on the ball, particularly at the back.
“I can see England having a lot of the ball, so we will have to be patient and stay organised.
“We have not got the strength in depth England have in their squad, so I am wondering if some of the players may be getting tired at this stage?
“But the spirit within this squad is immense and I think we can be very proud with what we have achieved so far and still cause a problem or two for England.”
Wanderers’ Icelandic links are stronger than any other club in the Football League, with so many former players coming from the northern isle.
When Bruce Rioch picked Bergsson up for just £65,000 in 1995, spotting him in a reserve game between Crystal Palace and West Ham, he eventually paved the way for Eidur Gudjohnsen, Gretar Steinsson, Heidar Helgusson, Arnar Gunnlaugsson, Olaf Snorasson and Birkir Kristinsson.
But why do Icelanders prosper so well in the North West? Bergsson has a view.
“I think Icelanders treasure the community you have in Bolton, the sense of togetherness,” he said. “I always considered it home and people treated me well.
“Once I had settled there, more and more players came in. We were able to support each other and built on that. It was the same for the Scandinavian players at the time too.
“The Icelandic mentality is that we adapt well to different surroundings and we like to consider ourselves hard workers who fit within a team shape.
“That helped at Bolton because it was all about the team. We were stronger as a team and not a collection of individuals.”
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