Victor Palsson candid about his tough Plymouth Argyle start

Victor Palsson has admitted the Green Army have not seen 'anything close to what I can do' after a frustrating start to his time at Plymouth Argyle.

The 33-year-old Iceland international brought vast experience from leagues across Europe, and also a spell under Wayne Rooney at DC United in the United States, when he joined the Pilgrims during pre-season after leaving Belgian club Eupen.

Palsson started at right-back in Argyle's season-opening 4-0 defeat away to Sheffield Wednesday but then missed the next four matches after picking up a hamstring injury. Once he recovered from that, the defender had to watch from the substitutes' bench due to the form of others.

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He was brought into the team by Rooney for the away game against Burnley on October 1, again at right-back, but had a difficult time and was substituted during the second half at Turf Moor.

However, Palsson has started the last two Championship games, the 3-3 draw at home to Preston North End and the 3-0 defeat away to Leeds United, as he has taken over from the injured Lewis Gibson in central defence.

With Gibson and Brendan Galloway, another centre-back, both on Argyle's lengthy injury list at the moment, Palsson has an opportunity to get a run of games for the first time this season.

Palsson said: "I will be honest, it hasn't been the start that I wished for myself personally. It has been a tough start, coming in and getting the injury straight away, and then not playing and not being able to show who I am as a player.

"It has been frustrating. I think the club is fantastic, the dressing room is fantastic - I have been welcomed really well. Great squad, great players, good team, nice city. I love living here but then again I'm here to play football and I haven't played much."

He continued: "I don't like to sit here and bring excuses but we speak honestly and I haven't been fit, coming here then getting injured. It went two months from playing the first game of the season until Burnley away, not being match fit, not being in that rhythm.

"It's a new league for me as well. It's a really good league, a difficult league, high standards. So, no, the fans haven't seen anything close to what I can do."

When asked how long he thought it would take him to get up to full speed fitness-wise, Palsson replied: "I'm training properly, doing everything that I can control to get that.

"Games is what you need as a footballer. You need to get that match fitness, you need to get that rhythm and then when you get the chance you need to take it, and when I have got my chance I haven't taken it, to be brutally honest.

"I'm just still working hard, trying to be the best version of myself every day, the best team-mate that I can be for the lads, and trying to do the extra things so I can get up to speed."

One of the reasons why Rooney brought Palsson to Argyle, after previously coaching him at DC United, was the versatility he added to the squad.

"The majority of my career I played as a holding midfielder but now I have played the last three years as a centre-back, on the right side," said Palsson. "I have played a few games for Iceland as a right-back."

Palsson's lack of games at Argyle led to him being an unused substitute for both of Iceland's UEFA Nations League Group B4 home games in Reykjavik last month, which were a 2-2 draw with Wales and a 4-2 defeat by Turkey. He had started and scored when Iceland lost 3-1 away to Turkey the previous month.

Representing his country is very important to Palsson and he does not believe going away during two international breaks with Iceland already this season has stopped him from getting into a rhythm with Argyle.

He said: "I have been doing that now for the last 10 years and I'm used to that. You switch off from your club football because the national team is something completely different. You know what you are getting into.

"I love playing for Iceland and I love being there. It gives myself a little bit of a refresh, going there and being there with childhood friends.

"It's a different environment. It breaks it up and I find that positive. I love playing for my country, I love being around the boys. You go into it with the same mentality. It's like you are going to a new team but it's still your team if that makes sense.

"The last camp I didn't play a minute for Iceland because of my lack of playing time here at Plymouth, but then again I have the same mentality over there. I go there to try to be the best version of myself, the best team-mate that I can be.

"I'm one of the older players there, I'm one of the older players here so I try to help the younger boys as well the best way I can. Of course, as a footballer you want to play.

"Football is a detail game, a momentum game. Maybe people from the outside don't understand exactly what happens and goes around. People just expect you to go in and play the game of your life, it's not that easy."

Palsson added: "You put your head down, you accept the situation, you work hard and you wait patiently, even though it's difficult."

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