Hermann Hreiðarsson interview: Why I swapped the Premier League for Brentford | OneFootball

Hermann Hreiðarsson came to England from Iceland when he signed for Crystal Palace at the age of 23 in 1997.

He looked at ease in the Premier League, albeit in an Eagles side that finished bottom, seven points from safety, and was relegated at the first time of asking for the third time in six seasons.

Playing in a lower division in 1998/99 was then, of course, a given. But after seven games in the First Division, he dropped another two to sign for Brentford, who had just been relegated to the Third Division.

The £750,000 fee was monumental. It was a new club record - three times that of the £250,000 they paid Chelsea for Joe Allon in November 1992 - and one that stood for 16 years, until the arrival of Moses Odubajo from Leyton Orient in June 2014.

Speaking on the phone from Iceland, where he is now manager of second-tier side HK Kópavogur, the 51-year-old laughs as he is asked the simple, yet most pressing, question: why?

“I didn’t have an agent and, when I look back, I think, well, that was a little bit of a risky move!

“It happened through Ron Noades. He was the owner of Crystal Palace while I was there, then sold the club and it all went a bit south. I was very friendly with Ron, so I just spoke to him and said I'd come over to Brentford and I hope we win the league, so we got the deal done.

“Obviously the promised land is the Premier League and it was outstanding there. That's where you want to be; you want to compete against the best. But I also thought it was a good chance to experience the lower leagues and the infrastructure of English football, so I grabbed it with both hands.

“I also needed to improve my game. Ray Lewington, who I still hold in very high regard, was with me at Palace and he went to Brentford, so that was a big factor as well, to know I would be in great hands there to develop my game.

“Ron had big plans for the club at the time and went straight into trying to turn it into a bigger club. Like any other player, you want to play at the highest level, and I went there with great hopes of winning the league and then just seeing where it would take me.”

Hreiðarsson made his debut on 26 September 1998 in a 3-0 home win over Darlington and missed only four league games thereafter. As he had done at Selhurst Park, he fitted right in at Griffin Park.

“It was the home of football, absolutely. At the time, it was a different class.”

Something that endeared him to many was that he was somewhat ahead of his time, able to step forward out of defence and provide an option going forward, something that felt “natural” given he played on the wing and in midfield in his teenage years.

A partnership with Darren Powell was also soon forged. The two 6ft 3in defenders were a formidable force at the back.

“He was an absolute top man and a great defender,” says Hreiðarsson.

“We looked after each other. I knew he had pace but he was also powerful in the air. He was a great athlete.

“We both had decent pace. We could really defend with a high line or in a low block. We could defend the box and we enjoyed our heading. We were quite the dominant partnership.”

Brentford were second in the table, with two games in hand, on New Year’s Day 1999, with Hreiðarsson sealing a 1-0 win at home to league leaders Cardiff to close the year on 28 December.

A tricky run of five defeats in the next eight saw them drop to fourth, seven points off top spot, but it only seemed to galvanise the group.

“It was such a positive team,” he continues. “A young team and a hungry team, with players who wanted to improve and go for bigger and better things.

“When you have that sort of group where everyone is pushing each other, you enjoy being a part of just seeing week in, week out the improvement of a team that is enjoying themselves.

“We played Saturdays and most Tuesdays, but when we didn't play Tuesdays, we went to a running track. It was such a competition and we were doing proper running – 100m, 200m, 400m.

“Everyone came back absolutely shattered after those sessions, but we pushed each other. Everyone wanted to be the winner of the 60m or the 100m, so we were trying to break each other's records!

“The fitness of the team was outstanding and we showed it at the back end of the season. We were the fittest team. Often, we left it until late to grab the three points, but we always believed we were the team to beat.”

Brentford were top after the penultimate game of the season, having beaten Swansea 4-1 at Griffin Park, a result that extended their unbeaten run to 15 games. Promotion was already in the bag after a 3-0 win at home to Exeter three days prior.

Cambridge had a game in hand at that point, which they lost 2-0 to Swansea on 6 May, just two days before the Bees visited the Abbey Stadium. Owing to inferior goal difference, Brentford had to win to secure the title… which they duly did, courtesy of Lloyd Owusu’s historic goal.

“We were so hungry to make sure we would win the league,” Hreiðarsson adds.

“Cambridge had a good side that year and they were competitors. So, to go to their home turf and pick up the three points, you can just imagine the noise from the coach.

“Ron invited us back to his house and I think he probably had to sell it afterwards… we had a great night! It comes along with all the hard work and dedication of such a young team. When you succeed in those things you deserve a bit of a celebration.”

Hreiðarsson scored two goals in the first four league games of 1999/00 and featured eight times in all, before a move back to the Premier League in October 1999, which perhaps had always been anticipated.

Wimbledon paid £2.5 million for his services. That, too, was a club record, and one that stood for 15 years until Adam Forshaw was sold to Wigan in September 2014.

“I wanted it to be a good opportunity and a good step for me. I think there were a couple of offers before that, which Ron had turned down. The offer was quite substantial and maybe good for business as well.

“Of course, I was happy it worked out. That's the promised land, that's where you want to play. Every footballer wants to play in the Premier League, the best league in the world.

“But I had mixed emotions because I had such a good time at Brentford and even in the league above, we were still unbeaten when I left. It was a happy place, it's always a happy place when you don't get beat.

“It was really refreshing to see how many people turned up at every game. The atmosphere was amazing throughout the season and you learn also that there are a lot of good football players in the lower leagues, so you really need to take care of yourself and look after yourself when and if you get the chance to play at a high level.”

Hreiðarsson went on to play in the Premier League for 10 seasons in total and won the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2007/08, but looks back on his time in west London as a lesson in English football.

“Like I said, if I had an agent or some really good advisors they probably wouldn't have advised me to join,” he admits.

“If I'm totally honest, there were a couple of games where I thought it probably wasn't a very clever move for me. I was in the Premier League last year and I'm having a stinker here in the Third Division!

“But I had a great belief in myself, I knew what I was capable of and what I needed to improve. I was really open-minded and put a smile on my face and made sure I would do everything to improve my game and make sure Brentford do well in the league.

“You remember winning things, even when I was 14 and we won a trophy for my youth team or whatever. When you win that trophy for a first team, you cherish those moments immensely.

“It's difficult to win trophies. There's only one team that can do it. I look at that year as such a big learning year for myself in my development, just to get to know the people and see different places.

“I thought the lower leagues - a proper, passionate place - was just a perfect environment. It was a really good place to educate yourself and improve yourself as a football player.

“And the fans? They were different class the whole time. I even remember I played for Iceland against France, in France after I left, and there were quite a few Brentford supporters there, which warmed my heart immensely. We had a great relationship the whole time through.”