BOLTON fans, who have already heard enough about Gretar Steinsson to know that the new Reebok right-back is a formidable character, will not be too surprised to learn that he not only survived a career-threatening injury, but that he recovered in double-quick time.

The Iceland international, who joined Wanderers from AZ Alkmaar for £3.5million - a club record for a defender - has been hell-bent on reaching the top of his profession since he was first spotted playing five-a-side football in the tiny fishing village of Siglufjorfdur, where he was born and raised.

As the story goes, he lived in a garage for three years while he got his foot on the ladder, playing for Akranes, the club that produced Arnar Gunnlaugsson, who had a couple of seasons with Wanderers in the nineties.

But his ambition to play in a top European league was dealt a savage blow when, just as he was being tipped to go all the way, he suffered cruciate ligament damage, the knee injury that has halted many a player's progress.

He could have crumbled, but the indomitable Iceman saw the setback as merely another hurdle to be cleared.

Full story in Friday's The Bolton News