Grétar Steinsson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Grétar Steinsson

Grétar in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Grétar Rafn Steinsson
Date of birth	(1982-01-09) 9 January 1982 (age 43)
Place of birth	Siglufjörður, Iceland
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Right back
Team information
Current team	Leeds United (Technical Director)
Youth career
1998–1999	ÍA
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–1998	KS	8	(0)
2000–2004	ÍA	76	(11)
2004–2006	Young Boys	21	(3)
2006–2008	AZ	61	(7)
2008–2012	Bolton Wanderers	126	(5)
2012–2013	Kayserispor	9	(1)
Total		301	(27)
International career
1998	Iceland U-17	7	(0)
2000	Iceland U-19	4	(0)
2001–2003	Iceland U-21	11	(1)
2002–2012	Iceland	46	(4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Grétar Rafn Steinsson, born on January 9, 1982, is a former professional football player from Iceland. He was known for playing as a right back, which is a defensive position in football.

Playing Career: Club Teams

Starting in Iceland

Grétar was born in Siglufjörður, a small fishing village in Iceland. He was noticed playing football there and soon joined a youth team. He began his career with a local team called KS while he was still a student. In 2000, he moved to ÍA Akranes.

Grétar played his first game for ÍA Akranes on May 18, 2000, in a 1–0 win. He played 13 games that year and was even captain of the youth team. His good performances caught the eye of bigger clubs in Europe, like Heerenveen and Sheffield United.

In the 2001 season, Grétar became a regular player for ÍA Akranes. He started strong, scoring three goals in his first five league matches. He scored three more goals later, helping his team win the Icelandic title. He played 31 games and scored 7 goals that season. He was also named the Most Promising Player and was part of the Team of the Year.

He continued to play well in 2002 and 2003, scoring goals and helping his team.

Moving to Switzerland: Young Boys

After not agreeing on a new contract with ÍA Akranes, Grétar moved to Switzerland. He joined the club BSC Young Boys on July 24, 2004, and started playing for them in January 2005. He signed a two-year contract.

Grétar made his debut for Young Boys on February 27, 2005. He scored his first goal for the team on April 17, 2005, in a game against Basel. He scored two more goals that season, finishing with 15 appearances and 3 goals. In the 2005–06 season, he became a regular player and even scored in the UEFA Cup.

Playing in the Netherlands: AZ Alkmaar

On August 31, 2005, Grétar signed with AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands. He joined as a replacement for another player.

He played his first game for AZ Alkmaar on September 15, 2005, in a UEFA Cup match. He made his league debut a few days later. Grétar scored his first goal for AZ Alkmaar on October 23, 2005. He scored three more goals that season, playing 28 games in total.

In the 2006–07 season, Grétar continued to play an important role for AZ. He scored his first goal of the season on October 14, 2006. He also scored in a UEFA Cup match against Newcastle United on March 8, 2007. AZ went on to win that round. Grétar played in the KNVB Cup Final but his team lost in a penalty shootout. He played 45 games and scored 3 goals that season.

Before the 2007–08 season, another English club, Middlesbrough, tried to sign Grétar, but the transfer did not happen. Grétar continued to play well for AZ, scoring goals and helping his team win. He played his last game for AZ on January 13, 2008.

Time in England: Bolton Wanderers

On January 16, 2008, Grétar signed with Bolton Wanderers in England for about £3.5 million. He had been linked to the club years before.

Grétar made his debut for Bolton on January 19, 2008. He quickly became an important player, helping the team avoid being relegated from the Premier League. He played 16 games in his first season.

In the 2008–09 season, Grétar scored his first goal for Bolton on August 16, 2008. He continued to be a key player in the right-back position. He scored another goal on November 22, 2008. In March 2009, he signed a new four-year contract. His goal in a game against Hull City helped Bolton stay in the Premier League. He played 39 games and scored 3 goals that season.

In the 2009–10 season, Grétar faced competition for his position but still played many games. He even played in midfield sometimes. He scored his first goal of the season in an FA Cup match in December 2009. He continued to play regularly under the new manager, Owen Coyle. He played 31 games and scored once that season.

For the 2010–11 season, Grétar had a minor knee operation but returned to play for Bolton. He scored a goal on November 6, 2010. He played 26 games and scored once that season.

In the 2011–12 season, Grétar continued to be a part of the team. He scored a goal in a 3–1 win against Liverpool on January 21, 2012. He played 26 games that season. At the end of the season, Bolton was relegated, and Grétar's contract ended.

Last Club: Kayserispor

On August 22, 2012, Grétar signed a two-year contract with Kayserispor, a club in Turkey.

He made his debut for Kayserispor on September 1, 2012. A month later, on October 7, 2012, he scored his first goal for the club. He played regularly until he got injured in November 2012. This injury kept him out for the rest of the season. He played 9 games and scored once for Kayserispor.

On July 1, 2013, Grétar left the club. Two months later, on September 27, 2013, he announced that he was retiring from professional football.

Life After Playing Football

After retiring from playing, Grétar studied Football Management. He also earned a high-level certificate for Technical Directors from the English FA.

On January 21, 2015, Grétar returned to English football as the technical director for Fleetwood Town. In this role, he was in charge of finding new players and helping them develop. In December 2018, he joined Everton as the Head of Recruitment and Development.

On July 2, 2022, Grétar became the Performance Director for Tottenham Hotspur. He had previously been a Technical Adviser for the Iceland FA.

Most recently, Grétar joined Leeds United as their Technical Director on July 18, 2023.

International Career

Grétar played for Iceland at different youth levels before being called up to the senior national team in February 2002. He said it was a dream come true.

He made his debut for the senior team in March 2002 against Brazil. He scored a goal just 17 minutes after coming on as a substitute. With this game, he became the third player from his hometown of Siglufjörður to play for the national team.

He was called up again in 2005 and played regularly. He scored two goals that year against South Africa and Bulgaria. In 2008, he scored again against Azerbaijan. On June 10, 2009, Grétar was captain for Iceland for the first time. He played 46 games for Iceland and scored 4 goals in total.

Personal Life

Grétar loved watching English football from a young age. Besides Icelandic, he can speak English, German, and Dutch. He also played badminton when he was younger but chose football because he saw a better future in it.

Grétar is married to Georgina Steinsson. They have three children named Elma, Max, and Luna.

See also

In Spanish: Grétar Steinsson para niños