Guðrún Sóley Gunnarsdóttir

Guðrún Sóley Gunnarsdóttir (born 15 September 1982) is an Icelandic former football defender who was part of Iceland's national team and competed at UEFA Women's Euro 2009. Guðrún was the captain of Breiðablik and also played in Sweden's Damallsvenskan for Djurgårdens IF Dam. During her career she won the Icelandic championship five times and the Icelandic Cup three times. In 2004, she won the NCAA championship with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.[1]

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

Guðrún Sóley Gunnarsdóttir
Guðrún playing for Iceland in 2009
Personal information
Full name Guðrún Sóley Gunnarsdóttir
Date of birth (1981-09-15) 15 September 1981
Place of birth Iceland
Position(s) Defender
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2004 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 66 (0)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–2005 KR 97 (8)
2006–2007 Breiðablik 27 (6)
2008 KR 18 (2)
2009 → Djurgården (loan) 17 (2)
International career‡
1996–1998 Iceland U-17 13 (0)
1997–1999 Iceland U-19 7 (3)
1998–2000 Iceland U-21 17 (0)
1999–2009 Iceland 65 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 August 2009
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 30 August 2009

Club career

Named in the Icelandic Úrvalsdeild's team of the year nine times, Guðrún was also named KR Reykjavík's player of the season in 2008. She had simultaneously completed a scholarship at the University of Notre Dame, where she played varsity soccer for the "Fighting Irish". For the 2009 season, Guðrún went on loan to Djurgårdens IF Dam in Sweden, where she joined compatriot Guðbjörg Gunnarsdóttir.[2]

Guðrún played well in Sweden and was reportedly subject to approaches from Chicago Red Stars and Sky Blue FC of the American Women's Professional Soccer (WPS).[3] A head injury sustained at UEFA Women's Euro 2009 proved more serious than anticipated and caused Guðrún's premature retirement from football.[1] It was reported in July 2013 that she was contemplating a comeback with KR.[4]

International career

Guðrún's senior international debut for Iceland was on 14 October 1999, in a 5–0 defeat by Germany.

Personal life

A reader poll by Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat saw Guðrún voted the most beautiful player at UEFA Women's Euro 2009, with more than twice as many votes as runner-up Kosovare Asllani.[5] Since 2009 she has worked as an investment banker, with Sveriges Riksbank then Central Bank of Iceland.[6]

Achievements
  • Five times Icelandic champion
  • Three times Icelandic cup winner

Honours
  • Player of the Year in Breiðablik in 2007.
  • Player of the Year in KR in 2008.
  • Sport Person of the Year in Seltjarnarnes in 1999.

References
  1. "Laus við látlausan höfuðverk". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 30 September 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  2. "Gudrún Sóley Gunnarsdóttir". UEFA. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  3. "Guðrún Sóley líka á leiðinni í bandarísku deildina". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Fréttablaðið. 29 September 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  4. "Guðrún Sóley og María Björk með KR á ný". RUV.is (in Icelandic). RÚV. 14 July 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  5. "Hän on EM-kisojen kaunein futaaja - katso kuvat!" (in Finnish). Ilta-Sanomat. 2 September 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  6. "Guðrún snýr aftur" (in Icelandic). Viðskiptablaðið. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2013.


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