MIKE Whitlow, who played alongside Gudni Bergsson for the last time after stepping into the breach after a three and a half month absence, paid this tribute.

"We are going to lose a dear, dear friend," he says, "and we will not be graced with a man like that again.

"I was delighted to play alongside him for one last time. I wanted to play with my old mucker before he retired and went home to Iceland.

"I have had 14 retirement speeches off him in the past but this is it. He has been a legend, an ambassador and captain of the club.

"The players wanted to send the old man off with some happy memories."

Bergsson believes there could be more happy memories ahead for the team he is leaving behind.

"We have a great club here and a great set up," he said.

"There is a difficulty with the finances at the moment, a lot of players on one-year contracts and free transfers and a lot of foreigners. But we are a good, tight unit.

"These players have shown what they are capable of and we have been a joy to watch this season.

"You don't want to go through this every year.

"I have been through it for eight years and that is long enough.

"It is time to push on now because this set of players has the capability to finish higher up the table.

"The manager and everyone at the club wants to build on this and improve."

Bergsson praised Whitlow's performance after so long out of the first team, adding: "He has been a great servant to this club.

"It was not easy for him to come in after he has watched us get so many good results without him but he was excellent."

Goal hero Per Frandsen summed up the joy and relief in the Reebok camp.

"The pressure is nothing new," he said. "I have been through it nearly every year but it has been mentally difficult in the last few months.

"I have never scored a more important goal than this one.

"We have some great players here and we can do better next season. We threw a lot of points away in games but no team has taken us apart."