Mackay Praise For 'Viking Warrior' Gunnarsson !

Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay has paid tribute to impressive young midfielder Aron Gunnarsson after watching the former Coventry City man captain Iceland against France recently.

City were desperate for midfield reinforcements last summer with the likes of Gavin Rae leaving and having struggled in that position. Gunnarsson joined from Coventry on a free transfer but commanded a hefty £300k compensation due to his age.

Although I had though of him as a capable defensive midfielder, and an effective tackler and scrapper - he went on to establish himself as a key player with a lot more skills. He played various positions, and was effective in all of them while it was often noticable that if City played well, Gunnar had a good game. Wehen he wasn't having the best game, the team struggled.

Speaking to WalesOnline, Malky Mackay said:


"He is a strong boy physically with a strong mentality. He has such a calm demeanour."

"Aron has that Icelandic thing - he is a Viking warrior. They get on with things and give everything they have to their team."

"He is still learning the game and learning about his body. That education includes when to work on the ball, when to work off the ball, when to move his head and when to move his feet."

"He works hard to improve. Aron chips away all the time and is a good character to have at Cardiff City. We are proud to have him here."

Gunnarsson will be in his second season with the club next campaign, and will hopefully continue to impress and improve. His energy, commitment and contribution from midfield could be a key factor in how our season goes.

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