12:10pm Tuesday 16th March 2010
By Marc Iles
GRETAR Steinsson admits he is completely stumped when it comes to cricket.
Growing up on the northern coast of Iceland, the adventurous full-back had little cause to take an interest in the Gentleman’s Game.
But he had to learn fast when he found himself between the wickets on Thursday afternoon at Burnden Leisure Centre, as Wanderers lent a hand to promote the Premier League Health project.
Steinsson, as ever, was game for a laugh, even if he failed to show quite the same aptitude with bat and ball as team-mate Zat Knight, pictured below.
“It’s harder than it looks, I must admit,” Steinsson said.
“It’s not really known as a sport in Iceland and I don’t get the rules. I followed the Ashes a little bit but it confuses me.
“I can’t really get into it. There are so many games and you never know whether it’s important or not important.
“It’s fun, though. It would be good to go out with friends and have a game.”
Both Steinsson and Knight were guided through the work which is being done by the club’s Football in the Community department, with this project in particular focusing on health issues for men aged 18 to 35.
The pair also helped out with some healthy eating demonstrations and fitness testing on the Nintendo Wii.
Knight admits the physical demands of Premier League football mean dietary pleasures are kept to a bare minimum, even in the off season.
But the giant defender, who started off his career at non-league Rushall Olympic, reckons it hasn’t always been that way.
“When I was playing non-league, your pre-season started two weeks before the season did,” he said. “You could get away with a lot more.
“Nowadays, you start six or seven weeks before, and it’s hard. But I believe you have to look after yourself in the off-season to make sure you are in shape when you come back.
“You do allow yourself a few things in the summer but you have always got to keep pre-season in the back of your mind.
“This game means so much to people that you can’t afford to go overboard.
“Looking after your body gives you that little bit more longevity, in life and as a player, so although you do give yourself a little time off, you can’t afford to do that much.”
lPremier League Health is a £1.63million programme funded by the New Football Pools and managed and administered by the Football Foundation to address rising men’s health problems across the country. Steinsson and Knight were appearing as part of the Places for Players initiative.
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