Early failures in the Icelandic lower divisions did not deter their No 1, whose other career brings perks for his team-mates This article is part of the Guardian’s 2018 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 32 countries who have qualified for Russia. theguardian.com is running previews from two countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 14 June. Hannes Thór Halldórsson was on the brink of quitting football at the age of 20. He had never received any professional goalkeeper training, had enjoyed the high school parties a little too much and had, besides, realised his potential as a film director. In the summer of 2004 he was rejected by a local third division team and things did not look at all good for a player who is now the first and only Icelandic goalkeeper to play in a major tournament – and one who kept clean sheets in World Cup qualifiers against teams such as Croatia, Ukraine and Turkey. Continue reading... |