Could Iceland’s Euro 2016 star play in Australia?

Our Asian football expert John Duerden asks whether Euro 2016 stars such as Iceland’s Ragnar Sigurosson would consider swapping Europe for a season of sunny football in Australia’s Hyundai A-League.

The 2016 European Championships are now in the knockout stage with the big boys and a few not so big still in the running. 

As well as some of the major stars, there are a few that Hyundai A-League clubs should be keeping an eye on.

If nothing else, the tournament has shown that there are talented players who can be found all over the world and not just the biggest and the best leagues.

Top 25 players outside A-League

A-League stars: Then and now

Ragnar Sigurosson (Iceland)

In a tournament of surprise packages Iceland have raised more eyebrows than all the rest but given the improvements and progress made in recent years then perhaps it is not that surprising after all.

Especially when you have players with the presence of Sigurosson in the middle of a fabulous defence. 

Ready for anything and ready to do anything, he has mixed it with some of the best strikers in Europe and come out on top.

 The 30 year-old Russian based player has won his individual duels time and time again as well as being the foundation for the whole team.

Pepe (Portugal)

At the age of 33, the Real Madrid defender is not going to be in the first team of the European champions for too much longer. 

In France, he has yet to stand out for a Portugal team that has put in a series of indifferent performances.

But, not only has he bags of experience at the highest level and a top-class defender, he is also one of those kind of players that the media and fans of rival clubs love to hate. 

Every league, no, every club needs one of those and Pepe is the biggest and best in the world. Love him or hate him –there is no indifference.

This is likely to be his last international tournament and he may soon be searching for a new club. 

A move to Australia could be a very interesting one indeed.

Pepe (Portugal)

Hal Robson-Kanu (Wales)

Starting out at Arsenal didn’t work out and at the end of last season he was released by Reading. He has been linked to clubs in the English championship and Scotland. 

The man who scored Wales’s first-ever winning goal at the European Championships, deserves the praise after recovering from a number of setbacks in his career. 

A versatile forward who can play out wide or in the middle, a spell down under may be tempting for this unattached player.

Akos Elek (Hungary)

Akos Elek (Hungary)

Has been a solid performer in three games so far that have seen the Magyars progress into the last 16 to be rewarded with a game against Belgium. 

Elek can play as a holding midfielder or in a more advanced position, reading the game well enough to be proficient at both. Not only that, in a hard-working team, he works harder than most.

The 27 year-old has already had a spell in China with Changchun Yatai but the far northeast of the Middle Kingdom can be a difficult place to settle. 

Now he is back playing in the domestic league of his homeland,a second trip to Asia –but warmer climes– may be tempting.

Michael McGovern (Northern Ireland)

Michael McGovern (Northern Ireland)

The Northern Ireland star has been one of the standout shot-stoppers in the entire tournament with a string of top-class performances. He saved the best until last however.

Germany took the field against the boys from Belfast fully expecting an easy three points. The points came but the world champions were made to work so hard for their solitary goal. 

The Hamilton Academical man made super save after super save to leave the likes of Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze with their heads in their hands on more than one occasion.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)

You never know…