THERE isn’t a more heart-warming tale at this summer’s European Championships than the end of Eidur Gudjohnsen’s 20-year wait to play at a major tournament.

Two decades since he replaced his father Arnor as a substitute against Estonia, he rightly takes his place among the continental greats this summer.

It pains me to think it but after putting him back on the international map, Wanderers then very nearly cost him his chance altogether.

Last summer, before the financial crisis had become full-blown, Gudjohnsen was one of a handful of players who were waiting for news of a new contract and who had not been included on the list of players released.

Darren Pratley was in the same boat, likewise Emile Heskey, but of the three it seemed the Icelandic striker who had been brought back with such success the previous season would be the one to stay. His beloved Bolton – the place he still called home as he travelled round Monaco, Barcelona, Chelsea et al – were in prime position to help him get to the Euros by keeping him on for another year.

Gudjohnsen spoke to the Icelandic press after a qualifier last June, indicating the contract talks were a formality, just a matter of signing the forms once he came back for pre-season. But just a few weeks later things changed dramatically.

All of a sudden, the message coming out of Bolton was that the 37-year-old was asking for too much money to stay – too much to even entertain the idea.

I wrote in an opinion piece at the time: “Eidur Gudjohnsen sure picked the wrong time to ask for a pay rise at Wanderers – and his legend could suffer as a result.

“After last season’s fairytale comeback, it now looks increasingly likely that the Icelander’s story will reach an ignominious conclusion at Bolton.”

And if I could take those words back now, I definitely would.

My contacts over in Iceland claimed the contract offer which was put in front of Gudjohnsen had been revoked but no-one, including myself, could get any proper verification from the veteran striker.

Bolton’s chairman at the time, Phil Gartside, denied the story with some gusto. Neil Lennon, who at that point was in a club-imposed silent bubble over his links with the then-vacant Leicester City job, was unavailable.

It did indeed appear an inglorious end to Gudjohnsen’s second spell at Wanderers when we learned he was in talks with a Chinese club Shijiazhuang Ever Bright. The limited communications I had with Asia underlined simply that the contract he was offered there was worth a lot of money – and so a conclusion was drawn.

It still made no sense after Lennon and Gudjohnsen had spoken so positively about the future in April. Of course, we now know just what was unfolding behind the scenes, and so can we say with any great certainty Wanderers did not renege on their offer?

Wanderers did sign Pratley up as captain for the next three years and, eventually, they stopped messing Heskey around after he had trained and played the whole pre-season without being paid.

It is for others to decide whether the club made a wise financial move in keeping Pratley and Heskey. I, for one, believe both men have been unfairly criticised at times in their Bolton careers but accept others view things differently.

I am extremely glad, however, Gudjohnsen’s story had a happy ending. His time in China did not work out but thanks to the timing of the new Norwegian season he was able to find a contract at Molde, where he has done particularly well and earned his international call.

At 37 it is debatable what Gudjohnsen could have offered to Bolton in the longer term, or if his vast experience could have been harnessed for coaching in the same way Heskey’s was.

Lennon privately expressed his disappointment at having to let the Icelander go but knew his own transfer dealings over the course of the summer were coming under increasing scrutiny by supporters.

Wanderers did not have money last summer for transfers but made no attempt to convey just how serious the situation had become until it was too late. I wonder if this was also the case for Lennon, and whether it would have affected his decision-making 12 months ago?

Either way, the club has deep-rooted connections with Iceland – be it through Gudni Bergsson, Gretar Steinsson or Arnar Gunnlaugsson. And I’d be surprised if they were not everyone’s favourite second team at this summer’s tournament.

Like so many of the Wanderers heroes Eidur did not get the exit he deserved. I just hope on the international stage his story has a happy ending.