T&T forward Jonathan Glenn says the decision to sign a new two-year contract with Iceland Premier League club Breioablik UBK was the best possible decision for him at this stage of his career.
But Breioablik was the most attractive option, particularly as Glenn will have the chance to play in the Europa League next year.
“I am very excited to continue my career for such a top club in Iceland. I was very impressed by the set up and professionalism of everyone involved at the club when I transferred in the summer,” said Glenn, who scored eight goals in nine matches during a loan stint with the club earlier this year. He also scored in the 3-3 draw with Mexico in Salt Lake City in September.
“The fans are some of the best in the league and it’s a club that is very ambitious. I think we have the right people and environment to achieve great things in the future and I want to be part of that,” the former St Anthony’s College and US College-based player said.
“I think the Iceland on a whole is doing great in football. Their progress as a national team and the development overall is quite impressive and I’ve fitted in quite nicely here.”
Football in Iceland is rapidly growing and with a population of 329,000 they became the smallest nation to ever reach a major tournament such as next year’s European Championship, finishing seven points ahead of closest rivals Holland. They are now ranked 31 in the world, jumping one hundred spots since May 2011 and have in their system, 13 UEFA Pro License coaches, 196 UEFA A License coaches and 639 UEFA B License coaches.
There are now 30 full-size all-weather pitches in Iceland, seven of which are indoors, and almost 150 smaller artificial arenas that ensure youngsters at grassroots can continue to play football in winter, often inside indoor dome structures.
“It is why the current crop of players, many of whom made history by qualifying for the European Under-21 Championship in 2011—Iceland’s first foray into any major international tournament—have been labelled “the indoor kids” according to the BBC.
Their “Golden Boy” Eidur Gudjohnson took them to the brink of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup and they would have erased T&T’s record as the smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup had they gone through. T&T defeated Iceland 2-0 in an international warm up prior to the 2006 World Cup.