International Debrief: The Best 300/1 Shot You'll Ever See

Following on from a thrilling week of Euro 2016 qualifiers, Mark O'Haire (@MarkOHaire) picks out a mammoth price on one of the most impressive sides to win the tournament in two years time…

The Best 300/1 Shot You'll Ever See

The secret is out. Having taken the European football scene by storm and coming within 180 minutes of a place at the World Cup, Iceland are no longer a marvel. It’s time to take them seriously and that means backing them to win Euro 2016 at an eye-watering 300/1 (Bet365).

The country with a population of just 300,000 (and where the national sport is handball) bagged a first ever win against the Netherlands on Monday night, making a mockery of their 13/2 quotes from BetVictor. It’s the clearest signal yet that the squad coached by Lars Lagerbäck and Heimir Hallgrímsson is ready to make an impact at a major tournament.

It’s a story that dates back 14 years. The Icelandic FA and local authorities pumped cash (and lots of it) at building a number of full-sized indoor football pitches, installed small artificial surfaces beside most schools and invested in quality youth coaching, which is now starting to reap its benefits.

With a golden generation now at their disposal, a 100% record thanks to wins over the Dutch, Latvia and Turkey, plus a huge dose of self belief, Iceland are in a cracking position to qualify for France 2016.

But it’s the way they’ve performed in those three wins, which have really caught the eye. Organised, tactically astute, technically proficient on the ball, pace and movement off the ball, they’ve been a joy to follow.

Bet365 make Our Boys a 300/1 shot to win the tournament – a HUGE price, which really should be closer to the 100/1 mark. To put it into perspective, Norway, Israel and Slovenia can be found as shorter-priced alternatives; a huge disservice to Iceland’s ability.

At 300/1, the price is well worth a throwaway quid or two and for those betting boffs amongst us, an excellent back-to-lay opportunity with those massive odds only going to contract as time goes by. I’ve already backed it. Care to join me?