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Gylfi Sigurdsson
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***Sponsored by The Owen McVeigh Foundation***
Gylfi Sigurdsson became Everton’s Club-record signing in summer 2017 and promptly struck a breathtaking 57-yard goal on his first start for the Blues.
Icelandic playmaker Sigurdsson, one of the stars of his country's run to the last eight of the 2016 European Championship, scored with an outrageous lob at Hajduk Split to book his new side's passage to the Europa League group stage.
Sigurdsson contributed further spectacular efforts against Southampton, former club Swansea City, Liverpool and Crystal Palace during his debut Goodison Park campaign - and ended the season with six goals and five assists in 30 starts in all competitions.
Sigurdsson was in excellent form throughout his second campaign at Everton, too. He scored 13 Premier League goals to finish as the Blues' joint-top scorer alongside Richarlison in 2018-2019. His tally included a blockbuster 25-yard strike in Everton's 2-1 victory at Leicester City in October 2018, which was voted Everton's Goal of the Season winner.
He also helped Iceland prove their Euro 2016 exploits were no fluke, contributing directly to eight goals as the tiny nation topped a 2018 World Cup qualifying group featuring traditional powerhouses Croatia, Ukraine and Turkey. He played all three matches of his country's World Cup campaign at Russia 2018, scoring from the spot in Iceland's 2-1 defeat to Croatia.
Born in Reykjavík, Sigurdsson began his youth career in his homeland with Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar (FH) and Breiðablik UBK, before moving to England to join Reading as a 16-year-old. He made his professional debut for the Royals in a 5-1 win over Luton Town in the League Cup.
Sigurdsson subsequently had loan spells with Shrewsbury Town and Crewe Alexandra but returned to the Madejski Stadium ahead of the 2009-10 season and quickly established himself as one of Reading’s key performers, finishing the campaign with 20 goals in 44 matches.
After netting in Reading’s opening game of 2010-11, a thunderous 25-yard strike, and another to ensure a 2-1 win over Leicester City at the end of August, Sigurdsson left the club to sign for Bundesliga oufit 1899 Hoffenheim for a fee reported to be in the region of £6.5m.
Despite starting only 13 games during his maiden season in Germany he was voted Player of the Season by the club's fans.
Sigurdsson joined Swansea on loan on New Year’s Day in 2012. A productive five months in south Wales followed, with the attacking midfielder scooping the Premier League Player-of-the-Month award for March.
A permanent transfer to the Swans collapsed, allowing Tottenham Hotspur to swoop and secure Sigurdsson’s signature for a fee of £8.8m in summer 2012.
He spent two seasons at White Hart Lane, scoring eight goals in 58 top-flight appearances before rejoining the Swans for a second spell as part of an exchange deal that saw defender Ben Davies move in the opposite direction.
And Sigurdsson once again became a key man for the club thanks to his ability to score and create goals and willingness to put in a shift for his team.
He was named Swans Player of the Year in both 2015-16 and 2016-17 and was hugely popular among supporters at the Liberty Stadium.
Sigurdsson scored nine goals and contributed 13 assists as Swansea beat the drop in dramatic fashion in his last season in Wales.
Contracted until: June 2022
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