To receive our full, free St Mirren newsletter straight to your email inbox, click here . Elvis Bwomono is no stranger to Iceland having played there for two seasons with IBV. At just 22, the Ugandan internationalist traded Southend United for the Vestmannaeyjar Islands - the same archipelago from which St Mirren hero Gunni Torfason hails.
Going from the hustle and bustle of London to the remote Icelandic islands was a culture shock but one for which Bwomono will be forever grateful. “I miss it," he said of his time playing in Iceland after landing in Reykjavik for St Mirren's Conference League tie against Valur. “I was 22 when I came here and it was an experience I really needed at that time of my life.
It taught me a lot about diversity and helped make me a more mature person. “Coming from London was definitely a culture shock – Vestmannaeyaer is one of the smallest and most remote islands you can imagine, with only about four or five thousand people on it, but it’s totally beautiful and I’d recommend a visit there to anyone. “It sounds like a strange move to make, but when I was at Southend there was an issue over compensation at the end of my contract which meant I could really move overseas.
Read more: St Mirren back in Europe 'dream come true' for Jamie Langfield Mark O'Hara on St Mirren Euro hopes: “We want a run, not just one tie" “The No2 there had been Herman Hreidersson and when he became manager of IBV, he offered me a deal. I really enjoyed play.