Ragnar Sigurdsson fulfilled a lifelong dream when he signed for Fulham.
It handed the Iceland defender a chance to play in the country he helped evict from Euro 2016.
It was only a heartbeat since the central defender was bundling the ball past Joe Hart en route to the shock of the tournament.
The eyes of the world were on Iceland and their triumph, but Sigurdsson says he is just as happy facing up to burly attackers like Chris O'Grady at Burton as Wayne Rooney.
In fact, the defender added, he never felt it necessary to ask international team-mates Gylfi Sigurdsson and Aron Gunnarsson whether he should join Fulham.
"I have been waiting my whole career to play in England so it was a very easy choice," he said.
“I didn't even have to speak to them (Iceland team-mates) as my mind was already made up.
“I did ask them how the Championship is and they said it's not quite the Premier League, but it's a very good football league and it will be a good challenge so there was no question in my mind.
“A club like Fulham I knew from being in the Premier League before so this was a very attractive transfer for me.”
Sigurdsson enjoyed an accomplished career in European football, making more than 100 appearances for Sweden’s IFK Goteborg, before enjoying similar success in Denmark with Copenhagen and Russia with Krasnodar.
His impressive performances for Iceland at Euro 2016, including a man of the match display as they eliminated England, encouraged Whites to secure his services from Krasnodar.
But despite a wealth of experience, the 30-year-old had something of a culture shock when he made his Fulham debut against Albion’s Chris O’Grady earlier in the month that produced a 1-1 draw.
He said: “I have never played against a strong striker like that before so it was nice, it was a good experience.”
Sigurdsson is set for a recall to face Bristol City tomorrow after being left out of the mix of fringe and academy graduates that bowed out of the EFL Cup to City on Wednesday.
