 Guðbjörg in October 2017. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Guðbjörg Gunnarsdóttir | ||
| Date of birth | (1985-05-18)18 May 1985 (age 40) | ||
| Place of birth | Sandgerði, Iceland | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| 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) |
| 2004–2018 | Iceland | 64 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 6 January 2021 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 6 January 2021 | |||
Guðbjörg "Gugga" Gunnarsdóttir (born 18 May 1985) is anIcelandicfootballer who played as agoalkeeper for SwedishDamallsvenskan clubEskilstuna United andIceland's national team. She represented her country in the2009 and2013 editions of theUEFA Women's Championship. At club level Guðbjörg has previously representedLSK Kvinner FK andAvaldsnes IL of the NorwegianToppserien,Turbine Potsdam of the GermanFrauen-Bundesliga andFH andValur of the IcelandicÚrvalsdeild.
Beginning her club career withFH, Guðbjörg made 23Úrvalsdeild appearances before signing forValur 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 SwedishDamallsvenskan clubDjurgårdens IF Dam ahead of the 2009 season.
Guðbjörg developed an affinity for Djurgården and was proud tocaptain the club. But several other players left due to economic downsizing and when the club wasrelegated in 2012 she had to leave to protect her national team place.[2]
In early 2013 Guðbjörg moved to Norway to play for wealthyToppserien newcomersAvaldsnes 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 clubTurbine Potsdam in December 2013. She signed a contract to run for one and a half seasons from 1 January 2014, tellingUEFA.com: "If one of the best teams in the world makes you an offer, you cannot say no."[4]
Unable to dislodgeAnn-Katrin Berger from the starting goalkeeper position at Turbine, Guðbjörg moved back to Norway withLSK Kvinner FK in July 2014. There she would compete withNora Neset Gjøen for a place in the team.[5]
In November 2015 Guðbjörg won theNorwegian 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 challengingSusanne 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 NorwegianToppserien clubArna-Bjørnar.[8]
Guðbjörg made her senior international debut forIceland in a 5–1friendly win overScotland at theEgilshöll Arena in March 2004.
AtUEFA Women's Euro 2009, Guðbjörg played in one match as Iceland were eliminated in the first round.[9]
National teamcoachSiggi Eyjólfsson selected Guðbjörg in the Iceland squad forUEFA Women's Euro 2013,[10] while rival goalkeeperÞóra 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 hostsSweden. The Swedish press hailed her as one of the best players at the competition.[12]
