Hibs star Palsson left devastated after Iceland snub

HIBS star Victor Palsson was left devastated today after learning he'd been axed from Iceland's squad for the European Under-21 Championship finals.

The midfield powerhouse had been named in coach Eyjolfur Sverrisson's original 40-man squad for the tournament which begins in Denmark in just ten days' time.

And having played his part in qualification - the first time Iceland have made the finals of a major competition at any level - Palsson appeared sure of his place only to miss out when Sverrisson trimmed it to the required 23.

Sverrisson has gone for experience with nine of the senior Icelandic squad which, coincidentally, will face Denmark in a Euro 2012 qualifying match in Reykjavik on Saturday, in his final selection.

Among them is 7?million Hoffenheim star Gylfi Sigurdsson, Bjarni Vidarsson of Belgian side Mechelen, who has already won 24 full caps, and Hearts defender Eggert Jonsson.

As a result, former Liverpool kid Palsson along with current Icelandic league top-scorer Kristinn Steindorsson have been omitted.

Today, Sverrisson admitted he'd faced a tough decision in deciding to leave out the likes of Palsson, saying: "I could have chosen two 23-man squads because we have so many good players.

"This was a difficult choice because there are a lot of boys I would like to keep in the squad."

Iceland will play Belarus, Switzerland and then Denmark in what is regarded as the easier of the two groups in the Under-21 finals.

Sverrisson said: "It is important to have a good first game, the others are not any easier because we only have three games to make it in our group."