Grétar Steinsson


Grétar Rafn Steinsson is a Icelandic former professional footballer who played as a right back. He is Chief European Scout at Everton.

Club career

Iceland

Born in Siglufjörður, Steinsson was spotted playing football when he was playing "seven-a-side football in the tiny fishing village" in his hometown, leading him to joining a youth team. Steinsson started his career with local team KS in Siglufjörður, where he was a student at the time. before joining ÍA Akranes in 2000.
Steinsson made his ÍA Akranes debut in the opening game of the season, in a 1–0 win over KF on 18 May 2000. By the end of 2000, he went on to make 13 appearances and amid from the first team, he was captain for the youth side. His breakthrough in the first team attracted interests from European clubs, such as, Heerenveen, 1860 Munich and Sheffield United.
The following 2001 season saw Steinsson established himself in the first team and started the season well, scoring three times in the first five league matches to the season. Steinsson later scored three more goals, including a brace against Valur on 13 August 2001. His performance at ÍA Akranes resulted him signing a two–year contract extension. At the end of the 2001 season, which saw the club the Icelandic league in 2001, Steinsson finished the season, making the total of 31 appearances and scoring 7 times. Steinssson was also awarded the Most Promising Player and Team of the Year at the ceremony.
In the 2002 season, Steinsson continued to regain his first team place in the first team and then scored again on 29 May 2002, in a 3–1 win over Grindavík. At the end of the 2002 season, Steinsson made the total of 31 appearances and scoring 2 times in all competitions. After scoring two goals in the total of 17 appearances in the 2003 season, At the end of the 2003 season, Steinsson's future was uncertain as his contract was yet renewed or began negotiating, with a year to his contract left at the club. Despite this, Steinsson made the total of 22 appearances and scoring two times.

BSC Young Boys

After the deal was not initially agreed over his contract, Steinsson moved abroad when he joined Swiss club BSC Young Boys on 24 July 2004, which the move would be taking effect the following January. Upon joining the club, it was revealed that his contract length was disclosed for two more years.
Steinsson made his BSC Young Boys debut, where he played 22 minutes after coming on as a substitute, in a 1–1 draw against Grasshopper on 27 February 2005. Steinsson scored his first BSC Young Boys in his first start for the side, in a 1–1 draw against Basel on 17 April 2005. This was followed up by scoring in a 2–2 draw against St. Gallen. He added his third goal for the club on 18 May 2005, in a 3–2 win over Grasshopper. At the end of the season, Steinsson made the total of 15 appearances and scoring three times.
In the 2005–06 season, Steinsson became a first team regular for the side, making the total of 8 appearance at the start of the season. He also scored in both legs against Lokeren in the UEFA Cup.

AZ Alkmaar

It was announced on 31 August 2005 that Grétar signed for AZ Alkmaar as a replacement for Jan Kromkamp.
Steinsson made his AZ Alkmaar debut on 15 September 2005, starting the whole match in a right–back position, in a 5–3 loss to Krylia Sovetov Samara in a UEFA Cup Match. He then made his league debut, coming on as a late substitute and played 6 minutes, in a 4–2 win over Ajax on 18 September 2005. He then scored his first goal for AZ Alkmaar on 23 October 2005, in a 5–1 win over Willem II. He scored again on 18 December 2005, in a 3–0 win over RKC Waalwijk. Steinsson scored again on 4 February 2006, in a 1–1 draw against Vitesse. After missing out three league matches in March, due to international commitment, Steinsson scored on his return on 12 March 2006, in a 3–1 win over Willem II. Despite being out of the first team on three occasions, Steinsson finished his first season at AZ Alkmaar, making the total of 28 appearance and scoring 4 times.
In the 2006–07 season, Steinsson missed the start of the season, due to being on the substitute bench. Despite this, Steinsson managed to regain his first team place and scored his first goal of the season, in a 2–0 win over Sparta Rotterdam on 14 October 2006. After being featured in a handful of first team appearances in the first half of the season, He scored again on 30 November 2006, in a 2–2 draw against Slovan Liberec. His performance in December 2006 led him to be linked a move to Hearts, a move he described it as a "step backwards" on his career. However, Steinsson suffered a shoulder injury during a 2–1 win over Sevilla in a UEFA Cup match on 15 December 2006. After the match, it was announced that Steinsson would be out throughout the rest of 2006 but expects to return in the winter break. After returning to the first team from injury in January, he regained his defensive position in the first team before rested for a match against Utrecht ahead of a UEFA Cup match against Newcastle United. In a UEFA Cup match against Newcastle United on 8 March 2007, Steinsson scored in a 4–2 loss. After the match, Steinsson said that AZ will score two goals in the next leg, a prediction that he made turned out to be correct, as AZ went on to win 2–0 and subsequently saw the club go through to the next round. After being out of the first team over suspension, Steinsson was featured in the KNVB Cup Final against Ajax, playing 120 minutes and scored in the penalty–shootout, as AZ went on to lose 8–7 as a result. After injuring himself ahead of a match against FC Twente, resulting him missing out two matches, Steinsson featured in both legs in the Play–offs for the European place against Ajax but lost 4–2 on aggregate. Despite this, Steinsson finished the 2006–07 season, making the total of 45 appearances and scoring 3 times.
Ahead of the 2007–08 season, on 2 July 2007, AZ Alkmaar announced they had accepted a €3.5 million bid from Middlesbrough. Gareth Southgate had seen him as an ideal replacement for Stuart Parnaby. After the bid was accepted, however, AZ backtracked, claiming the price wasn't high enough and requested Middlesbrough to raise their bid to £4m. Instead, Middlesbrough turned their attention to Charlton Athletic right back Luke Young, who ended up making the move, ending Middlesbrough's interest in Grétar. After a failed transfer move in the summer, Steinsson continued to impress when he set up a goal for Ari, in a 4–0 win over VVV-Venlo in the opening game of the season. Then, on 31 August 2007, he scored his first goal of the season, in a 3–0 win over Excelsior. After suffering from a back injury that plagued since his international career in October, Steinsson made a return from injury for a match against N.E.C. Nijmegen on 3 November 2007, where he set up two goals, in a 4–0 win. He then scored again on 30 December 2007, in a 1–0 win over Heracles Almelo. Amid a transfer move to Bolton Wanderers, He made his last appearance for the club on 13 January 2008, where he played 13 minutes, in a 6–1 defeat to Ajax. By the time of his departure, Steinsson made the total of 21 appearances and scoring 3 times.
Three months later, Steinsson was given a farewell sendoff following an end to an AZ Alkmaar match.

Bolton Wanderers

Despite signing a new four-and-a-half-year contract with AZ in November 2007, Grétar signed for Bolton Wanderers on 16 January 2008 for a £3.5m fee. Prior to the move, Steinsson was linked with the club six years ago and was recommended then Manager Sam Allardyce by his compatriot Guðni Bergsson but he decided against signing him.
He made his debut, playing the whole game, against Newcastle United on 19 January 2008. In a 3–2 loss against Arsenal on 29 March 2008, Steinsson set up one of the goals for Bolton Wanderers, but it was overshadowed when Abou Diaby made a studs-up tackle on Steinsson, resulting him Diaby sending off. After the match, Steinsson admitted to have avoid a seriously injury following a studs-up tackle from Diaby. The club then found themselves in the relegation zone, but managed to avoid it when Steinsson and the club won the remaining five matches by picking up win against Middlesbrough, a draw against Tottenham Hotspur, a win against Sunderland and a 1–1 draw against Chelsea to keep them up which could have also decided who won the Premier League title. At the end of the 2007–08 season, he went on to make 16 appearances for the side. His quick impact and performance at the club earned him praises from Gary Megson.
In the 2008–09 season, Steinsson started the season well when he scored his first goal for Bolton in the 3–1 victory over Stoke City on 16 August 2008. Since the start of the season, Steinsson continued to established himself in the first team, playing in the right–back position. He then scored and set up one of the goals, in a 3–1 win over Middlesbrough on 22 November 2008. After signing a four-year contract with the club in March 2009, he then played a huge role for the side when he helped Bolton Wanderers push further into the top half of the table. In the last but one game of the season, Grétar's goal in a 1–1 draw against Hull City confirmed Bolton's Premier League survival. Despite missing out one game, due to suspension, Steinsson made the total of 39 appearances and scoring 3 times in all competitions.
In the 2009–10 season, Steinsson found himself in a competition with new signing, Sam Ricketts over a right–back position and the club's decision to re-shuffle the defence. Despite being a part-time player, Steinsson played in a midfield position against Portsmouth and played a key role, in a 3–2 win on 12 September 2009. But by December, Steinsson began to regain his first team place in the right–back position and was the outstanding performer for the whole game, in a 1–1 draw against Fulham on 28 November 2009. The following month, he scored his first goal of the season, in a 2–0 win against Sheffield United in the second round of the FA Cup. For the rest of the season, Steinsson continued to feature in the first team under the new management of Owen Coyle, saying he's enjoying to play his tactics. However, in a 2–0 loss against Everton on 20 March 2010, he was sent–off in the 70th minutes for a professional foul on Yakubu. After serving a match suspension, Steinsson returned to the first team and regained his first team role for the rest of the season. Despite suffering from an illness later in the season, he went to finish the 2009–10 season, making the total of 31 appearances and scoring once in all competitions.
Ahead of the 2010–11 season, Grétar went through a minor operation in Iceland following a pain on his knee. Steinsson continued to regained his first team place under Manager Coyle at the start of the season. On 6 November 2010, he then scored his first goal of the season, in a 4–2 win over Tottenham Hotspur. He was named Sky Sports Team of the Week. Shortly after being suspended, Steinsson, however, lost his first team place to in-form Ricketts. It wasn't until on 26 December 2010 when he regained his first place in a 2–0 win over West Brom. However, Steinsson was sidelined from the first team on three occasions later in the season, due to injuries. At the end of the 2010–11 season, Steinsson went on to make the total of 26 appearance and scoring once.
Ahead of the 2011–12 season, Steinsson was expected to feature in the first team. He was featured in the first three matches before suffering a bruised foot. Steinsson was further sidelined in the first half of the season, due to competition from new signing, Dedryck Boyata But Steinsson was called upon to the first team in November by Coyle and featured regularly in the right–back position. He scored in the 3–1 home win against Liverpool on 21 January 2012. Although he appeared in and out of the first as the 2011–12 season progressed, Steinsson finished the season, making the total of 26 appearances and scoring once in all competitions.
At the end of the 2011–12 season, Bolton were relegated and the club elected not to offer Steinsson a new contract. Steinsson acknowledged that he had little chance of staying at Bolton Wanderers when his contract was about to come to an end.

Kayserispor

After considering taking his time over his next club, it was announced on 22 August 2012, Grétar signed a two-year contract with Turkish Süper Lig club Kayserispor. It came after when he passed his medical test.
Steinsson made his Kayserispor debut on 1 September 2012, playing the whole game, in a 1–1 draw against Akhisar Belediyespor. A month later, on 7 October 2012, he scored his first goal for the club, in a 2–1 win over Mersin İdmanyurdu. Steinsson played regularly in the right–back position until he suffered an injury during a 1–1 draw against Gaziantepspor on 18 November 2012. Initially out between four and six weeks after surgery, Steinsson was eventually sidelined for the rest of the season. Despite this, he went on to make a total of 9 appearance and scoring once.
It was announced on 1 July 2013 that Steinsson left the club by mutual consent, with a year left to his contract. Two months later, after failing to find a club, it was announced on 27 September 2013 Grétar announced that he had retired from football.

Post Playing Career

Following his retirement, Steinsson helped former club Bolton Wanderers sign Yannick Bastos in January 2014. Later that year, he completed his studies on Football Management at Johan Cruyff Institute and later re–join AZ Alkmaar.
Two months after joining AZ Alkmaar, on 21 January 2015, Grétar returned to English football, being appointed as technical director at Fleetwood Town of League One. As a technical director, his role is to handle scouting, community work, player recruitment and development for the club. He then joined Premier League club Everton in December 2018 as Chief European Scout, after nearly 4 years at Fleetwood Town. As part of his duties at Everton, Grétar scouts players in the lower tiers of English football.

International career

After previously played for all youth levels, representing Iceland, Steinsson was called up for the senior team in February 2002. Upon learning his call up, Steinson describe this as a dream come true.
He made his debut in a March 2002 friendly match against Brazil as a substitute and scored after being only 17 minutes on the pitch, in a 6–1 defeat. With his first appearance for the national side, Steinsson become the third player from Siglufjörður to play for them.
Three years after making his senior team debut, Steinsson was called up to the senior team for the first team. His first appearance in three years came on 26 March 2005, in a 4–0 loss against Croatia. Later that year, Steinsson scored two goals against South Africa and Bulgaria. Three years later, on 20 August 2008, Steinsson scored again, in a 1-1 draw against Azerbaijan. A year later, Steinsson was appointed as captain for the first time, in a 2-0 loss against Macedonia on 10 June 2009. Steinsson was featured four times out of the five matches for Iceland throughout 2012.
Throughout his whole international career at the Iceland national football team, Steinsson played regularly for the side and made the international cap of 46 appearance and scoring 4 times.

Personal life

Grétar married former Miss Iceland Manuela Ósk Harðardóttir in 2007 and they renewed their vows in 2009. Together, the couple have a son and a daughter, Elma Rós, who was born in April 2010. Steinsson even got a tattoo "of his then wife and children on his arms". However, they got divorced in 2011. In February 2012, Steinsson and Francesca Bamber, a daughter of former footballer Dave Bamber, announced their engagement.
While growing up, Steinsson began watching English Football since he was six years old. In addition to Icelandic, Steinsson speaks English, German and Dutch. In addition to playing football, Steinsson played badminton as well but realised that he had a " brighter future in football than in badminton".
In June 2016, Grétar praised his country, Iceland, for its stable education on his Daily Mail Columnists. Outside of football, Steinsson worked for a football school, based in his hometown country.