THE high-pitched sound of a commentator roaring with delight and excitement as Iceland broke away to score a last-minute winner, setting up tonight’s second round match with England in the European Championships, will live long in the memory.

The footage has gone viral, with Gudmundur Benediktsson’s tones now more famous than his playing career in his homeland before retirement in 2009 – and a Darlington-born striker had a little smile when he heard it on TV.

Gary Martin, who spent the majority of his youth playing in Middlesbrough’s academy system, has been based in Iceland for the last five years and was in Reykjavik when Arnor Ingvi Traustason finished off the late counter-attack to seal victory over Austria.

“Ha ha, I know him as well,” said Martin, now playing for Vikingur. “Gummi Ben (the commentator’s nickname) was my assistant manager at KR Reykjavik before I left in February. He actually was part of how I came to leave.

“Gummi Ben had mentioned to his friend at Vikingur if they’d be interested in buying me, the next thing I know I was being told I could leave because they had made an offer. I had to go. There was no point me staying when that was going on because I knew I wasn’t playing as much as I used to.

“I did have a laugh when I was watching his commentary. That’s how everyone will have been feeling when Iceland scored, to have qualified for the Euros was amazing for Iceland so for them to reach the second round and to play England …”

Martin is planning to put on his England top and head for the centre of Reykjavik tonight, holding his St George’s flag, when his adopted country takes on his homeland with a quarter-final spot up for grabs.

Suddenly a country more famous for volcanos and glaciers has emerged as a dangerous team on the international football stage under Swedish coach Lars Lagerback, much to the shock of almost everyone, including Iceland’s fans.

“This is not a surprise to me,” said Martin. “It is a surprise to some people in Iceland because they are not used to their country doing well at football. But I genuinely mean it when I say it’s no surprise to me.

“Iceland now have some top players, playing for top teams. If I look at the Iceland league as well, it’s much stronger to what it was when I first moved over here in 2011. Teams are playing and beating teams in the Europa League and Champions League qualifiers; that wasn’t happening as much before.

“And just look at qualifying when they beat Holland (as well as Turkey and Czech Republic). They have been steadily getting stronger.

“There’s something like ten of this squad all the same age as well. They all played in the Under-21s together when they beat Germany, who were world champions at the time, in 2010, so they have developed together. There’s no real individuals, they play like Leicester and win, lose and work together.”

Martin, who still harbours hopes of coming back to England to prove himself after becoming one of the most prolific forwards in Iceland, has loved watching Lagerback’s team shine in France, where around ten per cent of Iceland’s population has travelled to watch.

“It’s a lot quieter than normal over here, that’s for sure,” said Martin. “It does come to life again on the nights when Iceland are playing, there’s a real party atmosphere, but it’s going to be quieter when a large percentage of a 300,000 population have gone away.

“But I will be in the centre on Monday night, supporting England. Everyone knows their football over here, so most people know who I am and that I am an England fan, so I will be fine out there with them. It should be a great night, although I can’t do too much because I have a game on Tuesday.

“Iceland will make it difficult for England, I’m sure of it. They have some really good players, I have played with a number of them in the squad, like my good friend Haukur Heidar (Hauksson, who plays for (AIK).

“I won the league with him in 2013 and the cup in 2014. I sat next to him in the dressing room for years with KR. He will be the No 1 right-back for Iceland in the future and I have already been messaging him about it on Facebook.”

GARY MARTIN has spent the last five years playing professionally in Iceland, where he has seen the game develop to a different level. As England prepare to face one of the European Championships’ surprise packages, the striker has given Paul Fraser the lowdown on the players Wayne Rooney and Co will face in Nice tonight.

Hannes Halldorsson (Bodo/Glimt)

I won the Icelandic league with Hannes in 2013 when we were both with KR Reykjavik. For me, in the world I have been playing in, when people talk about Cristiano Ronaldo’s progression and his dedication, for me Hannes is the equivalent at the clubs I have been to. He has gone from nothing to what he is. He is a great shot stopper and a great leader.

Birkir Saevarsson (Hammarby)

He is very quick and very strong. He is good defensively even if he doesn’t get forward that much. Part of the game plan is for him to just sit tight and make life frustrating for the wingers. He plays his football in Sweden.

Kari Arnason (Malmo)

Kari is a good defender, who is quite well known in English football having played for Plymouth and Rotherham. He also had a spell at Aberdeen before moving to Malmo. He has been one of the key players in the tournament for Iceland, who reads the game well and is very strong.

Ragnar Sigurdsson (Krasnodar)

Playing his football in Russia and doing well. He is quite well suited to the game there because he is strong, aggressive and loves to get stuck in. He is a good header of the ball, particularly from set pieces, so he will be a big danger to the England defence.

Johann Gudmundsson (Charlton)

He might not be playing in England’s top two divisions next season but he is a really dangerous full-back and one that England will have to keep an eye on. This is the defender Iceland do like to see move forward because he is tricky, has a good delivery and is very dangerous one v one. He will be good at coming in side and shooting.

Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff)

He has proven himself to be a really good leader at international and club level. He is the Viking of the team and the true driving force. He bleeds Iceland in the middle, he is the ball winner and very solid. He has shown that during his time in Wales too.

Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea City)

Without a doubt he is the best player in the team and is great from set pieces. Whether it is with a free-kick or from the spot or even sending over a corner, Gylfi is a great striker of the ball. He is also very good technically and in Iceland he is regarded very much as the hero of the team.

Birkir Bjanrson (AGF)

He has been one of the best players in the tournament so far for Iceland and he will have alerted a number of clubs with his style of play. He will be looking to go one v one with his man and will come in from the left on to his right. He is great technically and will be very clever in possession. Both wingers work extremely hard.

Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (Kaiserslautern)

I played against him for two or three years when he was at Selfoss before he moved to Norway and now Germany. In 2011 he won the best player award in the Icelandic league when I won the best young player. Jon works extremely hard, he is strong, quick and direct. He is a nuisance to the defenders he is up against. He will cause trouble even if he doesn’t have the skills to beat them one v one.

Ari Skulason (Jiangsu Suning)

I really like him as footballer - he is strong, quick and he can finish. A complete striker and the danger man up front. He will suit the English game down to the ground. He is intelligent and will have to be watched carefully by both Chris Smalling and Gary Cahill.

Arnor Ingvi Traustason (Norrkoping)

The match-winning goalscorer against Austria. I played against him from 2012 for three years. He is a very good player and very much like Gylfi. He likes to play on the left and is quick, so he likes to drift inside, and can create goals as well as score them.