Exclusive interview: Gylfi Sigurdsson
Anthony Smith • Published 20 May 2011 09:30
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GYLFI Sigurdsson is convinced Reading have the right ingredients to win the Championship play-off final.
The former Royals favourite made a surprise visit to the dressing room before Tuesday's semi-final clash in South Wales.
And the 21-year-old watched his old team-mates clinch their place at Wembley final with a convincing 3-0 victory against a crestfallen Cardiff City.
Now Sigurdsson says Reading can go all the way.
In an exclusive Chronicle interview he declared: "I thought the lads were amazing. To win 3-0 at Cardiff was fantastic. But the run over the last 15 games or so has been unbelievable.
"Reading have the momentum and they've got what it takes to beat Swansea, I really believe that. They play good football, score goals and they don't concede many so they've got an excellent chance."
And Sigurdsson, who is now plying his trade in the Bundesliga, added: "I had some time off after the season finished so I came over to London and got a ticket to the game.
"It was a surprise visit. A few players knew but most didn't. It was good to see them before the game and go in the dressing room afterwards.
"I was hoping they would win - I wouldn't have liked to have been in there if they had lost. Thankfully it was a fantastic result for the boys and I was great to be there."
And he also vowed: "I'm going to try and fly over from Iceland now for the final at Wembley. It's only a three hour flight so hopefully I can go."
Sigurdsson made an important contribution to the league campaign with two goals in four games at the start of the season.
He then became the club's record £7 million transfer when he joined German outfit Hoffenheim.
Some Royals fans saw it as lack of ambition, others as a great deal for a player who joined the Academy aged 15 and rose through the ranks to become the Chronicle-sponsored Player of the Season last year after banging in 20 goals from midfield.
"There was obviously a very good squad here anyway," he said. "It took a bit of time to adjust and get going after I left then after 10 games things picked up.
"We just needed a bit of momentum and lately we have been unbelievable. You would fancy Reading to beat anyone on their day."
Though it was Swans boss Brendan Rodgers who handed Sigurdsson his Royals debut last season, the Icelandic ace is a big fan of Brian McDermott.
"He's been fantastic for Reading, simple as that," he said. "Just look at the decisions he made on Tuesday.
"To win 3-0 there was some effort. He knows what he's doing, he's a lovely bloke and he's a top manager."
Meanwhile, Sigurdsson is hoping for a more settled season ahead in Germany after some ups and downs.
"I knew it would take time to get into the Hoffenheim team," he explained. "Then when I did the manager left and a new one came in.
"I got limited chances but I took them and got back in the side. Then he was also sacked. We had three managers in a season and a few players came and went.
"Hopefully next season the new manager will be good for me. I'm really enjoying it in Germany, the stadiums are full, it's unbelievable."
Sigurdsson's surprise visit clearly went down well with his old team-mates. His former Academy colleague Jem Karacan said: "It was brilliant to see Gylfi back on the coach.
"It just shows you what he thinks of the club and also how good the club must be for players like that to come back.
"Gylfi will play for one of the biggest teams in the world and we all know that. He's been phenomenal at Hoffenheim from what we've seen of him."
And he admitted: "To see Gylfi go out the door was a little bit frustrating, he is a quality player and you know what he can do.
"He scored a few goals for us before he left, but there's such belief in the changing room now. We knew that someone else would step up to the mark and Shane Long has done it. He's been amazing all season, what a guy he is."
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