Astana midfielder Runar Sigurjonsson has conceded that he never even dreamed of playing at Old Trafford against Manchester United.
The Kazakh side will be visiting Manchester United on Thursday night for their opening Europa League group fixture and Sigurjonsson will be part of the side.
The Iceland international has been a Manchester United fan all his life and has often been at Old Trafford since his childhood to watch them play and cheer them on.
The 29-year-old admits that once Manchester United were drawn together with Astana in the same group, he did not really care who the other two teams were as that is all he wanted.
“I saw the words ‘Manchester United’ and thought ‘Wow!’”, the midfielder told The Athletic.
“I didn’t even see the other two teams drawn in the group until hours later. I was alone in the aeroplane thinking about United but unable to talk to anyone.
“I landed, saw the other teams and my phone blew up with messages from friends. Everyone knows who I support.
“Most of my friends are Manchester United fans too.”
Sigurjonsson revealed that his whole family are lifelong Manchester United fans and it will be special for them to watch him play at Old Trafford on Thursday night.
He admits that he never expected to walk out on the Old Trafford turf as a player and was content to visit the stadium like any other Manchester United fan.
“United are the team all my family supported and, like all people in Iceland, they’re crazy about English football. They’d rather support a team in England than a local team in Iceland.
“I never dreamed of going to Old Trafford other than as a spectator.
“I saw myself as a future season ticket holder when I stop playing, but now I’m going to play there.
“I’m really calm about the game but I’m so happy for my family that they’ll see me play in a stadium they have been visiting for 30 years.”
