Gylfi Sigurðsson
Who was Gylfi Sigurðsson?
Icelandic midfielder who has played for Premier League clubs including Tottenham Hotspur and Everton. He was a key player in Iceland's historic run to the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2016.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Gylfi Sigurðsson (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Gylfi Þór Sigurðsson is an Icelandic footballer born on September 8, 1989, in Reykjavík. Known as an attacking midfielder with great technical skills, set-piece expertise, and a knack for scoring from the midfield, Sigurðsson is one of Iceland's top players and the country's all-time leading scorer, with 28 goals in 85 international games.
He started his pro career at Reading in England's Championship, where he won the Player of the Season award in 2009-10. His strong performance at Reading led to a move to Germany's TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in 2010, which was Reading's biggest sale at the time. He shone in Germany too, picking up another Player of the Season award at Hoffenheim in 2010-11, showing he could adjust to different leagues and styles.
Back in England, Sigurðsson played for Swansea City, then moved to Tottenham Hotspur for £8 million. He went back to Swansea in 2014 in a swap deal involving Ben Davies. In 2017, he joined Everton for a then-record fee of £40 million, spending five years boosting the team's midfield creativity and scoring. His Premier League run paused in 2021 when he was arrested on suspicion of child sexual offences but was released without charge in 2023. After this, he picked up his career with Lyngby in Denmark, then Valur in Iceland, and later joined Víkingur Reykjavík in Iceland's top league.
Internationally, Sigurðsson debuted for Iceland in 2010 and became a key player during the team's most successful period. He was vital in Iceland qualifying for UEFA Euro 2016, their first major tournament, and reaching the quarter-finals. He also played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Iceland's first World Cup appearance, helping put the small Nordic nation, with just over 350,000 people, on the international football map.
Before Fame
Growing up in Reykjavík during the 1990s and 2000s, Sigurðsson honed his football skills in Iceland’s youth system just as the country started putting more effort into building better football facilities and improving coaching education. During his youth, Iceland's football programs started focusing more on technical skills and tactical understanding, which later helped the national team succeed.
He started gaining recognition when he moved to England as a teenager to join Reading's academy. This was becoming a common path for talented Icelandic players looking to advance their careers in more competitive leagues. Moving from Iceland to English football turned out to be a smart move, helping him refine his skills in a tougher setting and become one of the first Icelandic players to consistently succeed in top European leagues.
Key Achievements
- Iceland's all-time leading scorer with 28 goals in 85 international appearances
- Key player in Iceland's historic quarter-final run at UEFA Euro 2016
- Participated in Iceland's first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance in 2018
- Won consecutive Player of the Season awards at Reading (2009-10) and Hoffenheim (2010-11)
- Achieved a £40 million transfer to Everton, one of the highest fees for an Icelandic player
Did You Know?
- 01.He became Iceland's all-time leading goalscorer, surpassing the previous record in a nation where football was historically overshadowed by handball
- 02.His transfer to Everton for £40 million made him one of the most expensive Icelandic players ever sold
- 03.He won Player of the Season awards in consecutive years at different clubs in different countries - Reading in England and Hoffenheim in Germany
- 04.During Iceland's Euro 2016 campaign, he played a key role in the team's victory over England, one of the biggest upsets in tournament history
- 05.His full name includes the traditional Icelandic patronymic 'Þór', meaning he is literally 'Gylfi, son of Thor'