Former Miller Arnason is a good luck charm

The Iceland international helped his country beat favourites the Netherlands 1-0 in last night’s Euro 2016 qualifier and put them on the brink of being at a major football tournament for the first time in their history.

All Iceland need to do is beat Kazakhstan on Sunday to confirm their place at the competition which is held in France next year.

But Arnason’s good fortune has rubbed off on others too.

At the end of August, the team Arnason left the Millers for, Malmo FF in Sweden, qualified for this season’s Champions League thanks to a 4-3 aggregate win over Scottish giants Celtic.

Arnason will now pit his wits against some of the biggest clubs in the world, including Spanish galácticos Real Madrid and French heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain.

If we go further back to his time in South Yorkshire, Arnason was again a lynchpin in any successful side manager Steve Evans put together.

In the League Two days, Arnason was a key player in Evans’ promotion winning side, with the Rotherham boss stating that the centre-back was destined to play at a higher level.

League One didn’t faze him a year later and Arnason formed a solid defensive partnership with captain Craig Morgan which ended in the Millers winning the play-off final at Wembley against Leyton Orient and heading to the Championship.

In his final season at the AESSEAL New York Stadium, Arnason struggled at times and was switched from defence to midfield and back again.

But the Millers achieved their target of staying in the second-tier of English football, with Arnason once again becoming a crucial figure for the end of season run-in.

The 32-year-old has achieved a lot, succeeded at most clubs and now with his country too, there can’t be too many Rotherham fans who begrudge him his success.

From hurling in his trademark long throws at the likes of Accrington to stopping world-class Dutch superstars such as Memphis Depay and Arjen Robben, Arnason has climbed the footballing ladder.

All of this means one thing though, surely Arnason can expect a nomination for this year’s Ballon d’Or?