Guðbjörg Gunnarsdóttir

Guðbjörg "Gugga" Gunnarsdóttir (born 18 May 1985) is an Icelandic footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Swedish Damallsvenskan club Eskilstuna United and Iceland's national team. She represented her country in the 2009 and 2013 editions of the UEFA Women's Championship. At club level Guðbjörg has previously represented LSK Kvinner FK and Avaldsnes IL of the Norwegian Toppserien, Turbine Potsdam of the German Frauen-Bundesliga and FH and Valur of the Icelandic Úrvalsdeild.

This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Guðbjörg.

Guðbjörg Gunnarsdóttir
Guðbjörg in October 2017.
Personal information
Full name Guðbjörg Gunnarsdóttir
Date of birth (1985-05-18) 18 May 1985
Place of birth Sandgerði, Iceland
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Eskilstuna United
Number 30
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2002 FH 23 (0)
2002–2008 Valur 71 (0)
2009–2012 Djurgårdens IF 81 (0)
2013 Avaldsnes IL 21 (0)
2014 Turbine Potsdam 4 (0)
2014–2015 LSK Kvinner 20 (0)
2016–2020 Djurgårdens IF 71 (0)
2021 Arna-Bjørnar 2 (0)
2022– Eskilstuna United 0 (0)
International career‡
2000–2002 Iceland U-17 12 (0)
2001–2004 Iceland U-19 14 (0)
2003–2006 Iceland U-21 11 (0)
2004– Iceland 64 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 6 January 2021
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 6 January 2021

Club career

Beginning her club career with FH, Guðbjörg made 23 Úrvalsdeild appearances before signing for Valur in summer 2002.[1] At Valur she overcame a series of injuries to claim four Úrvalsdeild winner's medals and one Icelandic Women's Cup winner's medal. She moved to Swedish Damallsvenskan club Djurgårdens IF Dam ahead of the 2009 season.

Guðbjörg (centre) playing for Djurgården in October 2012

Guðbjörg developed an affinity for Djurgården and was proud to captain the club. But several other players left due to economic downsizing and when the club was relegated in 2012 she had to leave to protect her national team place.[2]

In early 2013 Guðbjörg moved to Norway to play for wealthy Toppserien newcomers Avaldsnes IL. She also had offers from clubs in Sweden, Germany and Russia.[3]

After one season in Norway, Guðbjörg announced a move to the German club Turbine Potsdam in December 2013. She signed a contract to run for one and a half seasons from 1 January 2014, telling UEFA.com: "If one of the best teams in the world makes you an offer, you cannot say no."[4]

Unable to dislodge Ann-Katrin Berger from the starting goalkeeper position at Turbine, Guðbjörg moved back to Norway with LSK Kvinner FK in July 2014. There she would compete with Nora Neset Gjøen for a place in the team.[5]

In November 2015 Guðbjörg won the Norwegian Women's Cup, playing in LSK's 3–2 final win over her former club Avaldsnes.[6] The following month she announced that she had left LSK and returned to Djurgården, who had been promoted back into the Damallsvenskan for the following season. Declaring "it feels great to be back", Guðbjörg looked forward to challenging Susanne Nilsson for a place in the team.[7] She missed most of the 2019 and 2020 seasons due to the birth of her twins.[8]

In January 2021, Guðbjörg signed with Norwegian Toppserien club Arna-Bjørnar.[8]

International career
Playing a Group stage game against Germany in the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 at Myresjöhus Arena in Växjö.

Guðbjörg made her senior international debut for Iceland in a 5–1 friendly win over Scotland at the Egilshöll Arena in March 2004.

At UEFA Women's Euro 2009, Guðbjörg played in one match as Iceland were eliminated in the first round.[9]

National team coach Siggi Eyjólfsson selected Guðbjörg in the Iceland squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2013,[10] while rival goalkeeper Þóra Björg Helgadóttir was recovering from a hamstring injury.[11] Guðbjörg took the goalkeeping position at the final tournament, playing in all three group matches and the 4–0 quarter-final defeat to hosts Sweden. The Swedish press hailed her as one of the best players at the competition.[12]

Honours

Club

References
  1. "Guðbjörg Gunnarsdóttir". MBL.is (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 7 August 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  2. "Fékk loksins tækifærið". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Fréttablaðið. 20 July 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  3. Fussgänger, Rainer (26 December 2012). ""Gugga" blir heltidsproffs i Norge" (in Swedish). Damfotboll.com. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  4. "Potsdam take on Gunnarsdóttir". UEFA. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  5. Sødal, Per Morten (7 July 2014). "Islending signerte". Romerikes Blad (in Norwegian).
  6. Holterhuset, Martin (21 November 2015). "Forsvarte cupgullet" (in Norwegian). Romerikes Blad. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  7. "Landslagsmålvakt till DIF dam" (in Swedish). Djurgårdens IF Fotboll. 21 December 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  8. Sindri Sverrisson (6 January 2021). "Ótrúlega stolt að hafa fætt tvö börn og fengið strax samning hjá nýju félagi". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  9. "Gudbjörg Gunnarsdóttir". UEFA. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  10. Stefánsson, Stefán (24 June 2013). "Familiar squad for Iceland". UEFA. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  11. "Helgadóttir: Iceland want more". UEFA. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  12. "Guðbjörg í hópi þeirra bestu". MBL.is (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
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