REYKJAVIK (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - Iceland have burst onto the international scene in recent years, making it to back-to-back FIBA EuroBaskets and also taking part in the World Cup Qualifiers.

While some of the team's veterans have retired and others are getting close to doing so, the country's competitiveness has not waned thanks to up-and-comers such as Martin Hermannsson showing they are ready to lead Iceland into a new era.

The 23-year-old guard spoke to FIBA.Basketball.

Iceland has had terrific players like Jon Arnor Stefansson and Hlynur Baeringsson but now there is a wave of youngsters on the scene, including yourself. Do you feel a responsibility to carry the program forward?
Yes, of course, especially now as most of the veterans are not playing anymore or are close to the end of playing for the national team. With Jon Arnor Stefansson getting to the last years of his superb career, I feel more pressure and people talk about me taking his role on the national team. I'm ready and I want that role. He talks to me a lot and gives me very good advice about how to learn, improve and be a better player. I feel I am a role model for the young guys and I have to show them how to be a professional and what they can achieve if they work hard.

"ICELANDIC BASKETBALL IS IMPROVING AND WE'RE ALREADY WAY BETTER AND MORE COMPETITIVE THAN WE WERE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO" HermannssonHermannsson

Iceland lost their World Cup Qualifiers in November at the Czech Republic and at home to Bulgaria. What went wrong?
We're changing generations and have to get used to it. We were missing Tryggvi Hlinason from Valencia for the first game and Jon as well as others didn't play. Those are players that have been in the starting five for a long time and now they aren't playing so we're trying to find a new chemistry, a new rhythm as well as new guys to come in and help the team. I'm not saying that people expected us to lose, but at home against Bulgaria, we should have done way better (Bulgaria won 77-74). We should have won that game. I asked people to be patient back home because we're having a new generation of guys so we need time. We have a lot of very good players coming up, and we're still really young, especially after the U20s being able to get in the A Group of the continental level. I think the future is bright for Icelandic basketball and we're only going to get better.

Your next games are against Finland on February 23 and the Czech Republic on February 25.
We have two home games that are crucial. We have to win both, basically. We did show at the EuroBasket that we can compete against the Finnish, and they won't have Lauri Markkanen, who was hard for us to defend last summer. We've got a good chance against them. I'm not saying it will be easy but we have to play at our best and we have a possibility. We play the same way they play, a similar style. Not the biggest guys, but they play physical and smart basketball, like we do. We have to bring our A game to win the two games and keep our chances alive.

Hermannsson and Iceland lost 83-79 to Finland at EuroBasket 2017

Finland have made a lot of headlines the past few years. Can Iceland have a similar impact?
I think that it is a great example for us. We can learn a lot from the Finnish growth and progression in basketball. We have the same kind of players, play the same kind of basketball and have the same kind of philosophy of basketball. I studied Finnish basketball and learned from their type of game. We can do the same as Finland does and we can try to follow the path of our Finnish friends. Icelandic basketball is improving and we're already way better and more competitive than we were a couple of years ago. With all our guys going abroad and the fact that basketball is growing a lot in my country, that's a great sign for the future. Having guys playing overseas helps us grow and improve a lot. Kids in Iceland see that it's possible to be a professional basketball player so they are sticking to their dreams and know that it is possible to reach them.

"WITH JON ARNOR STEFANSSON GETTING TO THE LAST YEARS OF HIS SUPERB CAREER, I FEEL MORE PRESSURE AND PEOPLE TALK ABOUT ME TAKING HIS ROLE ON THE NATIONAL TEAM. I'M READY AND I WANT THAT ROLE" HermannssonHermannsson

Four games are left for Iceland in the First Round of the World Cup Qualifiers. Will you advance to the Second Round?
Of course we all have that goal and dream to make it to China, but we're going to take it one game at a time. I think we can do some damage in our group. I can't wait for February's games.

FIBA