West Ham United can confirm that Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson is set to sign for Belgian top-flight club KSV Roeselare on loan until the end of the season - subject to international clearance.
The 19-year-old reserve-team regular is likely to make his debut next Saturday in the home match against KV Mechelen. Roeselare are bottom of the table but level on points with KSC Lokeren OV who they meet in a crunch encounter on 23 January. Eyjolfsson's move comes after his four appearances during a loan spell at League Two club Cheltenham Town last October.
Eyjolfsson will link up with his Iceland Under-21 team-mate Bjarni Vidarsson, making it easier for him to settle in Roeselare, a city in the Flemish region to the west of the country. The defender cannot wait to get started in a league which boasts clubs like RSC Anderlecht and Club Brugge KV and has produced the likes of Premier League stars Marouane Fellaini and Vincent Kompany.
The July 2008 recruit from HK Kopavogur in his homeland said: "When this came up as a possibility, I was very interested to go and play in Belgium. It is a good standard and there are good teams. This should give me quite a few games and there are matches every week. Their season ends in mid-March but until then I will be able to play regularly."
Although still a teenager until next August, the 6'2 Eyjolfsson has a mature outlook to getting time away from the Boleyn Ground. "I am used to travelling. I look at it as life experience. It is fun to get to know different cultures and I am happy West Ham are giving me this opportunity. It will really help my development and be good for everyone.
"I want to test myself. It will be a different kind of football to that I experienced at Cheltenham. It is another level and there will be big crowds. I know Bjarni Vidarsson, who is the Under-21 captain. He is a central midfielder who used to play for Everton. He is a good player and it will help me to have him there.
"My ambition is to come back to West Ham and make my first-team breakthrough. I still have at least next season to do that. That is the number one aim to go there and do well, catch the eye and get a chance when I come back. There are a lot of good central defenders here so it is the right thing to do."
Eyjolfsson has been a regular in Alex Dyer's reserves this season and he spoke to him before the loan move was finalised. As well as boosting his club chances upon his return, he is hopeful the regular match action will help him with his international ambitions. Iceland have four wins from five matches in 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying and have some major tests coming up.
"We have got a game against Germany in March, a really important one," he said. "It has been going well. We have got another game against them and one against the Czechs and if we can win a couple of them, we have a real chance of making the finals. We are all confident. It is a great crop of players and the football future is bright in Iceland. Hopefully we can move to the senior side together."