Hermann: I'll be back

After all, this is a player with a twisted penchant for applying headlocks to training ground visitors.

The really unfortunate ones end up being dangled from balconies by their legs, at the Christmas meal.

Still, the Wellington Sports Ground will be a safer place now the Iceman who wreaked such havoc has exited.

Not so the city, it would seem.

Granted, the 37-year-old has left Fratton Park for Coventry City after a memorable four-and-a-half year stay.

During that time he amassed 123 appearances and scored eight times. He also picked up the FA Cup in May 2008.

Hreidarsson’s enthusiastic and characteristically boisterous behaviour during the victory parade saw him attempt to throw then-chairman Sacha Gaydamak off the stage.

It was a moment witnessed by an estimated 80,000 Pompey fans crammed onto Southsea Common.

Now the fans’ favourite has departed, the lure of regular first-team football the carrot for a footballer galloping towards the end of his career.

Inevitably, pumping those knees high in the air in the process, as his unique running style dictates.

But this is not the end for Hreidarsson, who plans to commute to the Midlands from his Poole home during the duration of his six-month contract.

The Hermannator has every intention of coming back to Pompey.

Let’s not forget, he has the Freedom of the City bestowed upon him in recognition of that team’s FA Cup achievement.

And in the dangerous mind of Hermann, that entitles him to be let loose in any manner he chooses.

He said: ‘Of course I will be back.

‘And I’ll bring with me a rifle and a cow!

‘I’m allowed to do that aren’t I? I have the key to the city which lets me do things like that.

‘There is a piece of paper which says so.

‘Well, it allows me to do something like have a cow and rifle. I actually have absolutely no idea what the advantages are.

‘I’ll be back, though. Who knows I could be the boss at the club one day.

‘I have spent four-and-a-half years with a fantastic club in a great city with wonderful fans.

‘The best times of my career were spent there. The greatest day of my career was winning the FA Cup.

‘Then there was the parade, hundreds of thousands of people coming out to celebrate with us. What a memory that is, it really brought the achievement home to me.

‘I can tell you all the rumours about me being drunk are pure lies! Let’s just say that I had a great day. I had a good time – you can’t beat that!

‘I remember at one point being at the top of the bus trying to pour some beer into a policeman’s mouth – but it ended up going all over on his helmet.

‘It was in good spirits, though.

‘People always remind me how I tried to throw our chairman off the stage. Harry (Redknapp) stopped me and was shouting “Hermann, Hermann, no!”.

‘It was all a bit of fun. No harm was done.

‘It was a fantastic day for everyone involved in the club. I am lucky to have been part of that, something to show for your career.

‘I’ll be back, though.’

Having started the opening two league games of the season, Hreidarsson found himself dropped following a 1-0 defeat to Brighton in mid-August.

He never played for Pompey again.

The veteran didn’t even return to the substitutes’ bench until New Year’s Eve, remaining unused over the next three matches.

During his Fratton Park years he had fought back from a career-threatening Achilles injury, yet this was one battle he was not going to win.

Last week Michael Appleton gave the nod for Hreidarsson to play his football elsewhere, effectively cancelling the remaining six months of the contract he signed last summer.

Now for the first time since July 2007, Hermann Hreidarsson is not in the Pompey dressing room.

But, as ever, he does not intend to give up.

He added: ‘I never wanted to leave the football club really. Circumstances changed.

‘It was a difficult one because I have had a great time at Pompey. The fans and relationship I have had with them – absolutely good times.

‘I wanted to go and play more football, I didn’t want to just end the season having not been involved in any games.

‘I am back fit now and trained for quite a few weeks so that is not a problem – and I still enjoy the game.

‘For me I want to cross that white line and get that buzz and play the game.

‘I want to play on for as long as I can, but it wasn’t happening at Pompey.

‘I don’t want my career to just fade away. I want to at least give it a go at Coventry and see if I can do more things.

‘Then I can make a decision whether to carry on or not – at least then it is my decision.’