City keeper Gunnar Nielsen is set to win his second Faroe Islands cap after being called up for his country's upcoming friendly in Iceland, but a victory could result in a telling off - from his Mum!

The 23-year-old keeper made his international debut a year ago this month when he was part of a side who recorded an historic 2-1 win over Iceland – the Faroes’ first victory against them in 18 attempts.

The triumph was watched by his parents, but his mother, while hugely proud of her son, watched on with mixed emotions – being Icelandic by birth!

“Of course, she was pleased for me,” laughed Gunnar. “I think when I'm playing against Iceland it's OK for them to lose. I doubt she’ll turn up for this game in an Iceland shirt, either.

“If we win again I don’t think she would give me any stick.That's why mums come from Iceland!"

Gunnar is aware the Faroe Islands may be minnows in world football, but that doesn't mean the honour of playing for them is any less than the bigger nations. He's even hoping a few Icelandic City fans turn out at the game.

I know people think that because we’re a small country that being selected for the national team doesn’t mean much, but I can assure you we are as proud as anyone when we represent our nation

...Gunnar Nielsen

"I'm hoping that I start this game after being on the bench a number of times and if there are a few City supporters at the game, that would be really cool, too."

Gunnar, who has 10 Under-21 caps to his name, too, also believes this is a terrific chance to stake a claim for the No.1 jersey for the Islands, particularly with the European Championship qualifiers on the horizon.

“It’s an awesome opportunity,” he said. “We have Italy and Serbia in our group so there are some fantastic games to look forward to and I want to be part of it all.

“We think we can do well, too. Nobody likes coming to our national stadium because it’s a tough place to win at, the pitch isn’t as easy to play on and it can be very cold, so who knows?”

So is it fair to suggest Faroe Island international goalkeepers are among the busiest in world football? Gunnar thinks it could be worse: “We have our fair share of work during games, but there are countries with busier keepers than ours so you won’t find us complaining."