EDMONTON — After eight seasons playing for KR Reykjavik in the Iceland, FC Edmonton midfielder Oskar Orn Hauksson needed a new challenge.

In last Sunday’s 1-1 draw against the Carolina RailHawks, the 30-year-old got it when he replaced Lance Laing in the 72nd minute, finally getting his first taste of North American Soccer League.

“It was good to change my surroundings,” Haukksson said. “I had been on the same club for eight years, and I thought this would be a good kick in the butt.”

Although Eddies head coach Colin Miller hinted at potential changes to the starting lineup for Sunday’s 2 p.m. home game against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, he wouldn’t tip his hat to whether Hauksson would be one of them. The Reykavjik product’s 18-minute trial last week at least got his name in the mix.

“I was trying to get him some minutes to give him some confidence and get him through this spell of not being involved,” Miller said. “Oskar is a very good football player, but he’s having a difficult moment trying to get into the first team.”

Miller does like what he has in the former Iceland national team player, a club that currently sits 38th in the FIFA world rankings. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have spent the effort recruiting him over the winter. It was a phone call with Hauksson that sold Miller on the move.

“I was convinced already football-wise,” Miller said. “You can hear in a player’s voice whether they want to come an play for you or not.”

It’s been a slow transition for the Icelandic import to make his way into FC Edmonton’s first team, but off the field, it’s been a different story.

“I’m adjusting to life here really well. I like the guys and I like the city,” Hauksson said. “Football-wise, it’s a bit slower than I hoped for, but that’s to be expected with a new team, new coaches and a new league.”

Acclimatizing himself to the new city has been made easier by his roommates. Haukkson has found a home with teammates Ritchie Jones, Eddie Edwards and Tomi Ameobi.

“Oh, the Viking?” Jones said jokingly. “I like living with Thor.”

Hauksson’s long flowing Nordic hair and a blond beard make the comparison quite apt, however his game on the field is not quite so brutal as his nicknames suggest. His contrasting skill-set has made him a nice compliment to the club’s star midfielder in Laing.

“Laing-y is like Usain Bolt, where Oskar can tuck into the gaps and find that killer space behind the forwards so guys can find that pass,” Jones said.

Iceland’s moniker as ‘the land of ice and fire’ — a name given due to the country’s glaciers, hot springs and active volcanoes — is a theme that works quite well for FC Edmonton’s left-side duo of Hauksson and the Jamaican Laing.

Hauksson has a cool and composed element to his game. He finds open space and creates chances for others, while Laing has been roasting opposing NASL defenders with his speed for years now.

As it turns out, ’Thor’ isn’t the first Icelandic player to suit up for an Edmonton NASL club. Albert Gudmundsson spent two seasons on the Edmonton Drillers roster from 1980-82 in the defunct predecessor circuit to the modern league, putting up a pair of assists with the outdoor squad.

With another 28 games remaining in the season, Haukkson has plenty of time to make a greater impact on Edmonton soccer than that of his predecessor.

“Soccer is rising in North America,” the midfielder said. “So this is an exciting thing for me.”

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