Grétar Steinsson facts for kids
Grétar in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 9 January 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Siglufjörður, Iceland | ||
| Height | 1.89 m | ||
| Playing position | Right back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | 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) | |
| National team | |||
| 1998 | Iceland U-17 | 7 | (0) |
| 2000 | Iceland U-19 | 4 | (0) |
| 2001–2003 | Iceland U-21 | 11 | (1) |
| 2002–2012 | Iceland | 46 | (4) |
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Grétar Rafn Steinsson (born 9 January 1982) is a former professional footballer from Iceland. He played as a right back. After his playing career, Grétar moved into management roles in football clubs.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Playing in Iceland
Grétar started his football journey in his hometown of Siglufjörður, playing for a local team called KS. In 2000, he joined ÍA Akranes, a bigger club in Iceland. He quickly became a key player for ÍA Akranes.
In his first season, he played 13 games. By 2001, Grétar was a regular starter. He scored three goals in his first five league matches that year. He helped his team win the Icelandic league title. Grétar was also named the Most Promising Player and made the Team of the Year. He played for ÍA Akranes until 2004.
Moving to Switzerland: Young Boys
In 2004, Grétar moved to Europe, joining Swiss club BSC Young Boys. He made his debut in February 2005. Grétar scored his first goal for the club in April 2005. He scored three goals in 15 games during his first season.
In the 2005–06 season, he continued to play regularly. He also scored goals in the UEFA Cup, a big European competition.
Playing in the Netherlands: AZ Alkmaar
Grétar signed with Dutch club AZ Alkmaar in August 2005. He made his debut in the UEFA Cup in September. Soon after, he scored his first goal for AZ in October 2005. He finished his first season with 28 appearances and 4 goals.
In the 2006–07 season, Grétar continued to be an important player. He scored against Newcastle United in the UEFA Cup. AZ Alkmaar reached the KNVB Cup Final, where Grétar scored in the penalty shootout, but they lost the match. He played 45 games that season, scoring 3 goals.
Before the 2007–08 season, Middlesbrough tried to sign him, but the transfer did not happen. Grétar kept playing well for AZ, scoring 3 goals in 21 games before leaving in January 2008.
Premier League Adventure: Bolton Wanderers
In January 2008, Grétar moved to England to play for Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League. He made his debut on 19 January 2008. He quickly became a key player, helping Bolton avoid relegation from the Premier League that season. He played 16 games in his first half-season.
In the 2008–09 season, Grétar scored his first goal for Bolton against Stoke City. He scored again against Middlesbrough. His goal against Hull City helped Bolton stay in the Premier League for another year. He played 39 games and scored 3 goals that season.
The 2009–10 season saw Grétar face more competition for his position. He still played important games, including scoring in the FA Cup. He made 31 appearances and scored once. In the 2010–11 season, Grétar scored against Tottenham Hotspur. He played 26 games and scored one goal.
In his final season with Bolton, 2011–12, Grétar scored in a big 3–1 win against Liverpool. He played 26 games that season. At the end of the season, Bolton was relegated, and Grétar left the club.
Final Stop: Kayserispor
In August 2012, Grétar signed a two-year contract with Turkish club Kayserispor. He made his debut in September 2012. He scored his first goal for the club in October. Grétar played regularly until he got injured in November 2012, which kept him out for the rest of the season. He played 9 games and scored once.
In July 2013, Grétar left Kayserispor. Two months later, he announced his retirement from professional football.
Life After Playing Football
After retiring as a player, Grétar continued his education in Football Management. He earned a Level 5 (Technical Director) qualification from the English FA.
In January 2015, Grétar became the Technical Director at Fleetwood Town. In this role, he was in charge of finding new players and helping them develop. In December 2018, he moved to Premier League club Everton as their Head of Recruitment and Development.
In July 2022, Grétar joined Tottenham Hotspur as their Performance Director. A year later, in July 2023, he became the Technical Director at Leeds United.
Playing for Iceland
Grétar played for various youth teams for Iceland before being called up to the senior national team in February 2002. He said it was a dream come true.
He made his senior debut in March 2002 against Brazil. He scored a goal just 17 minutes after coming on as a substitute. This made him the third player from his hometown to play for the national team.
Grétar became a regular player for Iceland from 2005 onwards. He scored two more goals that year against South Africa and Bulgaria. In 2008, he scored again against Azerbaijan. In June 2009, he was captain for Iceland for the first time. Grétar played 46 games for Iceland, scoring 4 goals in total.
Personal Life
Grétar grew up 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 to focus on football.
Grétar is married to Georgina Steinsson. They have three children named Elma, Max, and Luna.
See also
In Spanish: Grétar Steinsson para niños
