Iceman Gretarsson warming to his task at Blackpool

The 25-year-old became the club’s 15th signing of the window last week when he arrived from Norwegian side Aalesunds for an undisclosed fee.

The centre-back, who made his international debut in January, knows all about English football.

He said: “In Iceland, English football is really, really big. Everyone watches it.

“I know Blackpool were in the Premier League a few years ago and I liked the club. I watched them a lot and I liked their style.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on how the club has been doing and it was a little bit downwards after that, but hopefully I can spark some things here.

“The stadium is really nice. It’s a nice culture here and the people in England love football. Hopefully I can make the fans happy.”

Having got an international cap under his belt, Gretarsson wants to use it as a springboard for the remainder of his career.

“Coming to England, hopefully that opens some windows for me,” he added.

“Being able to represent your country gives you a lot of pride. That’s what everyone wants to do when they are young.

“People are proud to come from Iceland and hopefully I will get the opportunity again to play for my country.

“As for this move, I feel good. I’m happy to be here and I’m just looking forward to getting to know everyone at the club. I’m really excited for the coming weeks.

“Neil Critchley (head coach) has welcomed me to the club and talked to me about the next couple of weeks in terms of what is expected of me.”