Hólmar Örn Eyjólfsson
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Hólmar Örn Eyjólfsson (born 6 August 1990) is an Icelandic
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who plays as a centre-back for Úrvalsdeild karla club Valur and the Iceland national team. He is the son of
Eyjólfur Sverrisson Eyjólfur Gjafar Sverrisson (born 3 August 1968) is an Icelandic former footballer and former coach of the Iceland national football team. He is the father of Hólmar Örn Eyjólfsson, also a professional footballer. Football Playing career ...
, former
Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
international and manager.


Club career


Handknattleiksfélag Kópavogs

Born in
Sauðárkrókur Sauðárkrókur () is a Localities of Iceland, town on the Skagafjörður in northern Iceland. It is the seat of both the Skagafjörður (municipality), Sveitarfélagið Skagafjörður ('Municipality of Skagafjörður') and the Northwestern Re ...
, Iceland, Eyjólfsson moved to Stuttgart, German when his father played for
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
, where during his three years stay in the country, he spoke a little German. After returning to Iceland, Eyjólfsson first joined FC Tindastóll when he was five years old. When Eyjólfsson was seven years old, his family moved to
Kópavogur Kópavogur () is a town in Iceland that is the country's second largest municipality by population. It lies immediately south of Reykjavík and is part of the Capital Region. The name literally means ''seal pup inlet''. The town seal contains t ...
and then joined HK when he was ten years old, starting out his professional football career. There, he began his career at and began taking football seriously. After progressing through the ranks at the club, Eyjólfsson finally made his Handknattleiksfélag Kópavogs debut on 13 May 2007 against Víkingur when he was sixteen years old and started the whole the game to help the club keep a clean sheet, in a 0–0 draw. After making his Handknattleiksfélag Kópavogs debut, Eyjólfsson signed a contract extension with the club. Following this, he received a handful of first team football, playing in the centre–back position despite being suspended on three occasions for picking up a total of six yellow cards. His performance led German clubs, such as,
Hertha BSC Hertha, Berliner Sport-Club e. V., commonly known as Hertha BSC (), and sometimes referred to as Hertha Berlin, Hertha BSC Berlin, or simply Hertha, is a German professional football club based in the locality of Westend of the borough of Charl ...
and Bayern Munich, who both offered him a trial, but Eyjólfsson ended up staying at Handknattleiksfélag Kópavogs. At the end of the 2007 season, he went on to finish his first season, making twelve appearances in all competitions and helped the club finish ninth place, just two points away from relegation. For his performance, Eyjólfsson was named Handknattleiksfélag Kópavogs’ most promising player of the year at the club's ceremony. Ahead of the 2008 season, Eyjólfsson signed a contract extension with Handknattleiksfélag Kópavogs, keeping him until 2009. He continued to establish himself in the first team, playing in the centre–back position despite missing a total of four matches in the first half of the season. Eyjólfsson made his last appearance for the club came on 23 June 2008 against
Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur (Reykjavík Football Club), often shortened to KR or KR Reykjavík, is an Icelandic football club based in the Vesturbær district of the capital, Reykjavík. KR is the oldest and most successful club in Icelandi ...
, which saw Handknattleiksfélag Kópavogs lost 3–0. By the time he departed from the club, Eyjólfsson made eight appearances in all competitions.


West Ham United

Eyjólfsson signed for
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
side
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
on 6 July 2008 from Icelandic team HK, where he previously made 19 first team appearances. Eyjólfsson previously went on trial with the club earlier this year. After missing out due to an injury, he appeared in West Ham United's friendly matches throughout the club's pre–season tour. His performance in the pre-season at West Ham United was praised, which according to the club's website, they wrote "that the Icelander had a great game and never got into trouble against the opposition team's forwards". Throughout the 2008–09 season at West Ham United, Eyjólfsson never played a single match in the first team and mostly spent his time, playing for the club's reserve side. Despite being loaned out twice during the 2009–10 season, Eyjólfsson was featured five times for West Ham United's reserve side and was captain at one point. Following the end of the 2009–10 season, he returned to the club's reserve side and continued to remain involved in a number of matches, but suffered an injury along the way through the 2010–11 season. On 16 April 2011, he announced his intention to leave West Ham United when his contract ran out without having played a first-team game for the club. His departure from West Ham United was confirmed on 17 May 2011 when the club would not be renewing his contract. Eyjólfsson later spoke about his time at West Ham United, saying: "I lacked perspective in England. I saw no way to get as much time at West Ham as I would like. And especially at my age, it is important to be able to develop further."


Loan spells from West Ham United

On 1 October 2009, Eyjólfsson signed on loan for EFL League Two side
Cheltenham Town Cheltenham Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. From the 2021–22 season, the club compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league sy ...
on a one-month loan. Two days later on 3 October 2009, he made his full debut for the club, in a 1–1 home draw against
Notts County Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 25 November 1862, it is the ...
. He returned to his parent club in November 2009 having made four appearances for Cheltenham Town. On 9 January 2010, Eyjólfsson joined Belgian
Roeselare Roeselare (; french: Roulers, ; West Flemish: ''Roeseloare'') is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Roeselare proper and the towns of Beveren, Oekene and Rumbeke. Th ...
on loan, until the end of the season. Upon joining the club, he joined Roeselare to get more playing time and to make him more stronger. Eyjólfsson made his Roeselare debut on 16 January 2010, starting the whole game, in a 2–1 loss against
Mechelen Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...
. Since joining the club, he quickly established himself in the first team, playing in the centre–back position. After suffering from a minor ailments, Eyjólfsson returned to the starting line–up against K.V.S.K. United in the league's relegation play–offs and set up a goal for
Nikita Rukavytsya Nikita Vadymovych Rukavytsya ( ; uk, Микита Вадимович Рукавиця, translit=Mykyta Vadymovych Rukavytsya; born 22 June 1987) is a professional footballer who plays for Israeli Premier League club Maccabi Haifa. Born in Ukrai ...
, in a 2–1 win. However, he was unable to prevent the Roeselare's relegation to the Belgian Second Division. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Eyjólfsson went on to make sixteen appearances in all competitions for the club. For his performance, he was named one of the five best players by the club despite only appearing in the second half of the season. Following this, Eyjólfsson returned to his parent club.


VfL Bochum

Eyjólfsson signed for German 2. Bundesliga team, Bochum, on 27 June 2011, signing a three-year contract, keeping him until 2014. Upon joining the club, the club's sports director Jens Todt commented on his move, quoting: "Holmar is a tough teamplayer who wants to get through like his father in Germany". He later said that his father advised him to move to Germany, citing "its football is played very seriously here." However, weeks after joining the club, Eyjólfsson suffered an injury that kept him out for two months after undergoing surgery. After returning from injury late–September, he spent the next two months on the substitute bench and only played three times on the reserve side. Eyjólfsson made his debut for Bochum, coming on as a late substitute for
Marcel Maltritz Marcel Maltritz (born 2 October 1978) is a German retired professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Career 1. FC Magdeburg On 2 October 1978, Maltritz was born in Magdeburg (then East Germany). He first played for ''TuS Magdeburg-Ne ...
, in a 6–0 win over
Erzgebirge Aue Fußball Club Erzgebirge Aue e.V., commonly known as simply FC Erzgebirge Aue or Erzgebirge Aue (), is a German football club based in Aue-Bad Schlema, Saxony. The former East German side was a founding member of the 3. Liga in 2008–09, ...
on 4 December 2011. His next appearance came against
Hansa Rostock FC Hansa Rostock () is a German association football club based in the city of Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The club is also called as "the cog" because of its club crest. They have emerged as one of the most successful clubs from the forme ...
on 5 February 2012 when he made his first start and set up a goal for
Nikoloz Gelashvili Nikoloz Gelashvili ( ka, ნიკოლოზ გელაშვილი; born 5 August 1985) is a Georgian footballer who plays for FC Dila Gori. Career Gelashvili joined Zestaponi in January 2008. Flamurtari In June 2014 Gelashvili left ...
, who scored a winning goal, in a 2–1 win. Having started out on the substitute bench since returning from injury, Eyjólfsson was given a handful of first team appearances for the rest of the 2011–12 season. At the end of the 2011–12 season, he went on to make eleven appearances in all competitions. At the start of the 2012–13 season, Eyjólfsson found himself in and out of the starting line–up for VfL Bochum. As a result, he appeared three times in the club's reserve side. However, in a match against
Dynamo Dresden Sportgemeinschaft Dynamo Dresden e.V., commonly known as SG Dynamo Dresden or Dynamo Dresden, are a German association football club based in Dresden, Saxony.Grüne, Hardy (2001). Enzyklopädie des deutschen Ligafußballs 7. Vereinslexikon. Ka ...
on 8 December 2012, Eyjólfsson was sent-off for a straight red card for kicking
Lynel Kitambala Lynel Darcy Kitambala (born 26 October 1988) is a French footballer of Congolese descent who currently plays as a winger for French club JS Saint-Pierroise. Career Kitambala was born in Creil, France. After playing for four other youth club ...
in the 35th minute, in a 3–0 win. After the match, it was announced that he would be serving a three match suspension. Amid to the suspension, Eyjólfsson was expected to be loaned out for the rest of the season, due to lack of playing time at VfL Bochum, but he ended up staying at the club. After serving a three match suspension, he returned to the starting line–up against 1860 Munich on 15 February 2013 but was sent-off for a straight red card in the 17th minute, in a 1–0 win. Shortly after, Eyjólfsson had his suspension overturned, allowing him to let him play the next match. During a 2–1 loss against
FC Ingolstadt 04 Fußball-Club Ingolstadt 2004 e.V., commonly known as FC Ingolstadt 04 or FC Ingolstadt, is a German football club based in Ingolstadt, Bavaria. The club was founded in 2004 out of the merger of the football sides of two other clubs: ESV Ingols ...
on 10 March 2013, he suffered a concussion after a collision and was substituted in the 45th minute. But Eyjólfsson was able to make a quick recovery and cleared to start in the next match. Following this, he started in the next six matches but was at fault for conceding goals that saw VfL Bochum lose four consecutive matches between 10 March 2013 and 5 April 2013. After recovering from a muscular problems, Eyjólfsson was dropped to the substitute bench in the club's remaining matches of the 2012–13 season, though he came on as a substitute for a match against 1. FC Köln on 4 May 2013. At the end of the 2012–13 season, Eyjólfsson finished his second season at VfL Bochum, making nineteen appearances in all competitions. At the start of the 2013–14 season, Eyjólfsson found his playing time, mostly coming from the substitute bench, due to facing new competitions, as well as, his own injury concern. As a result, he continued to feature for the club's reserve side, appearing three times. Following the absence of regular right–back,
Paul Freier Slawomir Paul Freier (Polish: Sławomir Paweł Freier; born 26 July 1979) is a German football coach and former player who was usually employed as a midfielder. He is currently the assistant manager of VfL Bochum U19. Biography Childhood and ...
, Eyjólfsson was called up for his replacement and started in a number of matches, playing in the right–back position. He then played a role in a match against
St. Pauli St. Pauli (Sankt Pauli; ) is a quarter of the city of Hamburg belonging to the centrally located Hamburg-Mitte borough. Situated on the right bank of the Elbe river, the nearby Landungsbrücken is a northern part of the port of Hamburg. St. ...
on 15 February 2014 by scoring only goal of the game and helping Bochum keeping a clean sheet, in a 1–0 win. However, Eyjólfsson was soon dropped from the starting line–up and found his playing time, coming from the substitute bench. Despite this, he started the whole game, in a 1–0 win over
Karlsruher SC Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg that currently plays in the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of German football. Domestically, the club was crowned German champion in 1909, and won the DF ...
on 11 May 2014, a win that saw the club promoted to
Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
next season. At the end of the 2013–14 season, Eyjólfsson made nineteen appearances and scoring once in all competitions. Following this, he was released by Bochum after a three-year spell at the club.


Rosenborg

On 11 August 2014, Eyjólfsson joined Norwegian side Rosenborg, signing a one-year contract with the club, with an option of extending for two years. He was previously linked with a move to Swedish side Helsingborgs before having a medical at Rosenberg. Eyjólfsson made his Rosenberg debut on 24 August 2014, coming as a late substitute, in a 2–0 win over
Sarpsborg 08 Sarpsborg 08 Fotballforening, commonly known as Sarpsborg 08 or simply Sarpsborg (), is a Norwegian football club based in Sarpsborg, playing in Eliteserien. Sarpsborg 08 and its predecessors played in 1. divisjon from 2005 to 2010. In 2010, the ...
. Following this, he quickly established himself in the first team, forming a centre–back partnership with Tore Reginiussen for the rest of the 2014 season. Eyjólfsson then scored his first goal for the club on 28 September 2014, in a 3–0 win over Aalesunds. His performance led Reginiussen praising him, saying: "It has worked well. Hólmar is good at talking and good at taking responsibility. He is simply a very good player who is easy to play with." Eyjólfsson helped Rosenberg finish second place in the league, as he made ten appearances and scoring once in all competitions. Ahead of the 2015 season, Eyjólfsson signed a three-year contract with Rosenberg, keeping him until 2018. However, he suffered a toe injury and was expected to miss the start of the season. But Eyjólfsson recovered and made his first appearance of the season, coming on for the injured Reginiussen in the 65th minute and helped the club win 5–1 in the opening game of the season against Aalesunds. Two weeks later, on 18 April 2015, he set up a goal for
Tobias Mikkelsen Tobias Pilegaard Mikkelsen (; born 18 September 1986) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a winger, he last played for Helsingborgs IF in the Allsvenskan. He has eight senior caps for Denmark, as well as a total of 11 youth ...
, in a 1–1 draw against Strømsgodset. Since the start of the 2015 season, Eyjólfsson quickly established himself in the first team, forming a centre–back partnership with Stefan Strandberg until his departure from the club. This lasted until he missed one match, due to picking up five yellow cards so far this season. Eyjólfsson returned to the starting line–up against Víkingur in the first leg of the
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
first round First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
, to help Rosenberg keep a clean sheet, in a 2–0 on 2 July 2015. In the return leg, he helped the club advance to the next round after keeping another clean sheet, in a 0–0 draw. Since returning from suspension, Eyjólfsson continued to regain his place in first team, forming a centre–back partnership with new signing, Johan Lædre Bjørdal. In a match against
Lillestrøm Lillestrøm is a municipality in Viken county. It is located in the traditional district of Romerike. With a population of 85,757 inhabitants, it is the fourth most populated municipality in Viken. It was founded on 1 January 2020 as a merger be ...
on 9 August 2015, he set up two goals for
Pål André Helland Pål André Helland (born 4 January 1990) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Lillestrøm in Eliteserien. Helland arrived at Rosenborg on 26 July 2013 from the winner of the 2012 Norwegian Football Cup Final, IL Hø ...
and Bjørdal, in a 5–0 win. This was followed up by scoring his first goal of the season, seven days later on 16 August 2015, in a 2–0 win against
Vålerenga Vålerenga () is a neighbourhood in the city of Oslo, Norway, belonging to the borough of Gamle Oslo. Vålerenga is located between the neighbourhoods of Gamlebyen, Jordal, Ensjø, Etterstad and Lodalen. Vålerenga is in particular known for it ...
. Eyjólfsson played in both legs of the UEFA Europa League's play–off round against
FCSB Fotbal Club FCSB (), commonly known as FCSB, is a Romanian professional Association football, football club based in Bucharest. It has spent its entire history in the top flight of the Romanian football league system, Romanian league system, t ...
and helped Rosenberg win 3–1 on aggregate to advance to the group stage. During which, he helped the club keep five consecutive clean sheets between 9 August 2015 and 23 August 2015. Eyjólfsson started in a match against
Haugesund Haugesund () is a municipality on the North Sea in Rogaland county, Norway. While the population is greater in the neighboring Karmøy municipality, the main commercial and economic centre of the Haugaland region in northern Rogaland and southern ...
on 1 November 2015 and played 72 minutes before being substituted, as the club won 4–3, a result that saw the side become the
league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...
champions for the first time since 2010. After missing a match in the last game of the season against Aalesunds, he returned to the starting line–up against
Sarpsborg 08 Sarpsborg 08 Fotballforening, commonly known as Sarpsborg 08 or simply Sarpsborg (), is a Norwegian football club based in Sarpsborg, playing in Eliteserien. Sarpsborg 08 and its predecessors played in 1. divisjon from 2005 to 2010. In 2010, the ...
in the Norwegian Football Cup Final and helped Rosenberg win 2–0, resulting in the club earning a double. At the end of the 2015 season, Eyjólfsson went on to make forty-eight appearances and scoring once in all competitions. At the start of the 2016 season, Eyjólfsson made his first appearance of the season, starting the whole game, in a 1–0 loss against
Odds Odds provide a measure of the likelihood of a particular outcome. They are calculated as the ratio of the number of events that produce that outcome to the number that do not. Odds are commonly used in gambling and statistics. Odds also have ...
in the opening game of the season. After missing one match, he returned to the starting line–up against Vålerenga on 2 April 2016 and helped Rosenberg keep a clean sheet, in a 1–0 win. Eyjólfsson then played two out of the club's next three matches, as he helped Rosenberg keep five consecutive clean sheets between 19 March 2016 and 16 April 2016. A week later on 24 April 2016, Eyjólfsson scored his first goal of the season, in a 4–0 win over
Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
. Since the start of the 2016 season, he continued to establish himself in the starting eleven, forming a centre–back partnership with either Reginiussen,
Jørgen Skjelvik Jørgen Skjelvik (; born 5 July 1991) is a Norway, Norwegian professional association football, footballer who plays for Odense Boldklub, Odense as a Defender (association football)#Full-back, left back. After starting his career with the local ...
and Bjørdal. Eyjólfsson scored his second goal of the season, scoring from a header, in a 3–1 win against
IFK Norrköping Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna Norrköping, more commonly known as IFK Norrköping or simply Norrköping, is a Swedish professional football club based in Norrköping. The club is affiliated to Östergötlands Fotbollförbund and play thei ...
in the first leg of the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
second round The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds e ...
on 13 July 2016. In the return leg, he helped the club advance to the next round despite losing 3–2, which Rosenberg won 5–4 on aggragate. After being dropped to the substitute bench for two matches, Eyjólfsson returned to the starting line–up against Viking on 11 August 2016 and helped the club keep a clean sheet, in a 2–0 win. Following this, he regained his first team place, forming a centre–back partnership with Reginiussen, Skjelvik and Bjørdal. Eyjólfsson then started the whole game against Molde on 24 September 2016, and helped the club keep a clean sheet win 4–0 to become champions for the second time in a row. He then scored his third goal of the season, in a 2–0 win over Bodø/Glimt in the last game of the season, which saw the opposition team relegated. Eyjólfsson then started the whole game against
Kongsvinger Kongsvinger () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger. Other settlements in the municipality include Aus ...
in
the final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
of the
Norwegian Football Cup The Norwegian Football Cup ( no, Norgesmesterskapet i fotball for herrer) is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football ...
and helped Rosenberg win 4–0 to win the Cup for the second time, just as it was in the league. Despite being absent on three occasions during the 2016 season, he went on to make thirty-five appearances and scoring two times in all competitions. Towards the end of the 2016 season, Eyjólfsson was linked a move away from the club when
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men's ...
side
Real Betis Real Betis Balompié, known as Real Betis () or just Betis, is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1907, it plays in La Liga. It holds home games at the Estadio Benito Vill ...
was interested in signing him over the summer, but the move never materialised. Following the end of the 2016 season, he was subjected of a transfer bid from Maccabi Haifa.


Maccabi Haifa

Eyjólfsson signed a 4.5-year contract for
Israeli Premier League The Israeli Premier League ( he, ליגת העל, ''Ligat Ha`Al'', ), is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the Israeli Football League – the state's league of Israel. The league is contested b ...
team
Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Haifa ( he, מכבי חיפה) is one of the biggest sports clubs in Israel and a part of the Maccabi association. It runs several sports clubs and teams in Haifa which have competed in a variety of sports over the years, such as Football ...
on 23 December 2016. Upon joining the club, he was joined by his fellow Icelandic
Viðar Örn Kjartansson Viðar Örn Kjartansson (; born 11 March 1990) is an Icelandic professional footballer who plays as a striker for Super League Greece club Atromitos. Club career Viðar made his debut for Selfoss in 2006, aged 16. He joined Icelandic top di ...
, who is at
Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv ( he, מכבי תל אביב) is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such ...
. Upon joining the club, Hólmar was given a number fifteen shirt. Eyjólfsson made his debut for Maccabi Haifa, starting the whole game, in a 2–0 loss against
Maccabi Petah Tikva Maccabi Petah Tikva F.C. ( he, מכבי פתח תקווה) (Full name: "Maccabi Avshalom Ironi Petah Tikva F.C., ) is an Israeli football club based in the city of Petah Tikva. It is part of the Maccabi World Union for international Jewish spo ...
on 14 January 2017. Since joining the club, he became a first team regular, playing in the centre–back position. Eyjólfsson started in every match until he missed two matches, due to a groin injury. It wasn't until on 13 May 2017 when Eyjólfsson made his return to the starting line–up, in a 2–0 loss against
Bnei Sakhnin Bnei Sakhnin F.C. ( ar, اتحاد أبناء سخنين, he, איחוד בני סכנין, ''Ihud Bnei Sakhnin''; ''Ittihad Abna Sakhnin'', ) is an Israeli football club based at the Doha Stadium in Sakhnin. They are the most successful clu ...
. His return was short–lived when he was sent–off for a second bookable offence, in a 0–0 draw against Maccabi Petah Tikva in the last game of the season. At the end of the 2016–17 season, Eyjólfsson went on to make sixteen appearances in all competitions. He later reflected his time at Maccabi Haifa, saying: "Two months after my arrival in Maccabi Haifa, the coach and sports director were fired and taken away. In the summer, the new mentor decided to hire six new foreigners, but I had a 4-year contract and it would be difficult to break up. It was not very easy to find a solution. However, I am happy that we succeeded. And it was good."


Levski Sofia

On 1 September 2017, Eyjólfsson was loaned for four years to Bulgarian club
Levski Sofia Levski Sofia ( bg, Левски София) is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia, which competes in the First League, the top division of the Bulgarian football league system. The club was founded on 24 May 1914 ...
.
He previously turned down a move to the club a week before. Having appeared three times as an unused substitute, Eyjólfsson made his debut for the Levski Sofia, starting the whole game throughout 120 minutes, to help the club beat Botev Galabovo in the first round of the
Bulgarian Cup The Bulgarian Cup ( bg, Купа на България, Kupa na Bulgaria) is a Bulgarian annual football competition. It is the country's main cup competition and all officially registered Bulgarian football teams take part in it. The tournament ...
on 19 September 2017. He then made his league debut for Levski Sofia, starting the whole game, and helped the club keep a clean sheet in a 0–0 draw against PFC Beroe on 25 September 2017. This was followed by helping Levski Sofia keep two clean sheets in the next two matches against Cherno More and Etar. Eyjólfsson helped the club keep five consecutive clean sheets in five league matches between 4 November 2017 and 2 December 2017. Since making his debut for Levski Sofia, he quickly established himself in the first team, forming a centre–back partnership with David Jablonský. Eyjólfsson then scored his first goal for the club, scoring from a header, in a 2–0 win against
FC Vereya Vereya ( bg, Верея) is a Bulgarian association football club based in Stara Zagora, which currently competes in the Southeast Third League, the third tier of Bulgarian football. Vereya was founded in 2001. The team made a remarkable rise ...
on 21 April 2018. He played in both legs against
rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
,
CSKA Sofia CSKA Sofia ( bg, ЦСКА София) is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia and currently competing in the country's premier football competition, the First League. ''CSKA'' is an abbreviation for ''Central Sport ...
in the semi–finals of the Bulgarian Cup and helped the club win 4–2 on aggragate to advance to the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
. Eyjólfsson started in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
against
Slavia Sofia PFC Slavia Sofia ( bg, ПФК Славия София) is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia, which currently competes in the top tier of the Bulgarian football league system, the First League. Slavia's home groun ...
on 9 May 2018 and played throughout 120 minutes in a 0–0 draw, as Levski Sofia lost 4–2 on penalties. Despite missing three matches later in the 2017–18 season, he went on to make thirty–one appearances and scoring once in all competitions. Following this, Eyjólfsson was permanently transferred to Levski Sofia for a fee of €500,000 . Eyjólfsson's first game after signing for the club on a permanent basis came in the opening game of the 2018–19 season against Botev Plovdiv, coming on as a 76th-minute substitute, in a 1–0 win. Since the start of the 2018–19 season, he continued to establish himself in the first team, forming a centre–back partnership with Jablonský. Eyjólfsson then scored his first goal of the season, scoring from a header, in a 2–1 win against
Dunav Ruse FC Dunav ( bg, Дунав, officially named ''"Дунав от Русе"'') is a Bulgarian professional football club based in Ruse, which currently competes in the Second League, the second tier of the Bulgarian football league system. Part o ...
on 11 August 2018. His second goal of the season came on 26 October 2018, once again scoring from a header, in a 7–0 win against FC Vereya. In a follow–up match against Cherno More in the second round of the Bulgarian Cup, however, he suffered a serious injury on his knee and was substituted in the 8th minute, as Levski Sofia lost 5–4 on penalties following a 2–2 draw. After it was announced that Eyjólfsson would be sidelined for the rest of the 2018–19 season. Up until August 2019, Eyjólfsson continued to recover from his knee injury and attended rehabilitation sessions. He made his first appearance of the season, coming on as an 83rd-minute substitute, in a 4–0 win against Vitosha Bistritsa on 17 August 2019. Following his return from injury, Eyjólfsson started out on the substitute bench before regaining his first team place, forming a centre–back partnership with either
Giannis Kargas Giannis Kargas ( el, Γιάννης Κάργας; born 9 December 1994) is a Greek professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Super League club PAOK. Career Early career The 1.88 meter tall defender, started his career in the acad ...
and
Nuno Reis Nuno Miguel Pereira Reis (born 31 January 1991) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays mainly as a centre-back but also as a defensive midfielder for Australian club Melbourne City FC. Formed at Sporting, where he was only a reserve ...
. He then scored his first goal of the season, scoring from a header, in a 3–1 win against
Botev Vratsa Botev ( bg, Ботев) is a Bulgarian professional football club based in Vratsa, that competes in the First League, the top division of Bulgarian football. The club was founded in 1921. Since 1948, Botev have played their home games at St ...
on 28 September 2019 and was named Man of the match for his performance. Eyjólfsson was named September's Player of the Month. He scored two goals in two matches between 31 October 2019 and 6 November 2019 against Dunav Ruse and Etar. Eyjólfsson helped Levski Sofia keep three consecutive clean sheets in three matches between 8 December 2019 and 15 February 2020. His performance attracted interests from European clubs in the January transfer window, but he stayed at the club. Since returning from injury, Eyjólfsson started in every match until he missed one match against Slavia Sofia on 1 March 2020, due to suspension. Shortly after, his performance, once again, earned him February's Player of the Month. However, the season was suspended because of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
and by that time, Eyjólfsson made nineteen appearances in all competitions. As a result of the pandemic, he was one of the players to agree a salary reduction of 50%. Once the season resumed behind closed doors, Eyjólfsson remained an integral part of the team, making six more appearances. This lasted until he suffered a hernia injury and was sidelined for the rest of the 2019–20 season following a successful surgery. At the end of the 2019–20 season, Eyjólfsson went on to make twenty–three appearances and scoring three times in all competitions. Even after the January transfer window closed, Eyjólfsson continued to be linked a move away from Levski Sofia and reports continued to speculate throughout the summer transfer window. It was reportedly expected in April that the club wanted to sell six foreigners, including Eyjólfsson, which was later revealed of selling the players was the high salaries. A month later, he said about his uncertainty on his future at Levski Sofia. Amid the transfer speculation, he was not included in the club's training and did not return to the country, making his intention clear of leaving Levski Sofia.


Return to Rosenborg

On 19 September 2020, Eyjólfsson returned to Rosenborg, signing a three–year contract with the club. Over the summer, Rosenborg was interested in signing him for the second time. As a result of the move, Levski Sofia would not receive a compensation for the player, due to difficulties, regarding his former club, Maccabi Haifa. He was immediately inserted into the first team and made his second debut for the club, starting the whole game, in a 2–1 win against Haugesund on 20 September 2020. Since joining Rosenborg for the second time, Eyjólfsson quickly established himself in the first team, reuniting with his centre–back partner, Reginiussen. He then scored his first goal for the club, scoring a last minute goal, in a 3–2 loss against Brann on 24 November 2020. Despite missing one match throughout the 2020 season, Eyjólfsson made twelve appearances and scoring once in all competitions.


International career


Youth career

In July 2006, Eyjólfsson was called up to the Iceland U17 for the first time. After making his debut for the U17 national team, he started in a number of matches for the Iceland U17 for the rest of 2006. In April 2007, Eyjólfsson was called up to the U17 national team squad for the UEFA European U-17 Championship. He was a key player at the 2007 European U-17 Championship and, although Iceland failed to make it beyond the group stage, was named by
UEFA Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
as one of the tournament's players to watch in future. Those finals in Belgium also saw him show his versatility as Eyjólfsson played in a holding midfield role, although he prefers to play at the back. Following the end of the tournament, Eyjólfsson played televe times for Iceland U17. In August 2007, Eyjólfsson was called up to the Iceland U19 squad for the first time. He made his U19 national team debut, starting the whole game, starting the whole game, in a 3–0 win against Scotland U19 on 8 September 2007. Eyjólfsson later made eight appearances for Iceland U19 between 2007 and 2008. Eyjólfsson was called by Iceland U21 for the first time on 6 November 2007. He made his U21 national team debut on 16 November 2007 against Germany U21, coming on as a second-half substitute, in a 3–0 win. While still in the U19's and had an instant impact, Eyjólfsson helped Iceland U21 gave their first win of the 2009 European Championship qualifying campaign matches with a 2–1 victory in Belgium U21. He was in the starting line-up for the next five matches throughout 2008, as Iceland U21 failed to make the play–offs. It wasn't until on 26 May 2009 when Eyjólfsson was called up to the U21 national team squad for the first time in eight months. He started in Iceland U21's match against Denmark U21, losing 3–2 on 5 June 2009. Eyjólfsson scored his first international goal in a 9 October 2009 in the 2011 European Championship qualifier, which Iceland won 8–0 against San Marino U21. He became a regular starter in the U21 national team for the 2011 European Championship qualifying campaign matches and helped Iceland U21 qualify for the tournament. Eyjólfsson then scored a winning goal for Iceland U21 and set up the opening goal of the game, in a 2–1 win against
England U21 The England national under-21 football team, also known as England under-21s or England U21(s), is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team. This team is for England players aged under 21 at the start of the calen ...
on 28 March 2011. In May 2011, Eyjólfsson was chosen for the
UEFA European Under-21 Championship The UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the UEFA Under-21 Championship or simply the Euro Under-21, is a biennial football competition contested by the European men's under-21 national teams of the UEFA member associations. Since 1992, the comp ...
squad. He played three times in the tournament, as the U21 national team were eliminated in the Group stage. Eyjólfsson then captained Iceland U21 for the first time, losing 3–0 against
England U21 The England national under-21 football team, also known as England under-21s or England U21(s), is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team. This team is for England players aged under 21 at the start of the calen ...
on 6 October 2011. He later captained the U21 national team in the next two matches against Azerbaijan U21. In a match against Belgium U21 on 10 September 2012, Eyjólfsson made his twenty–seventh appearances for Iceland U21, breaking a record and started the whole game, as the U21 national team lost 5–0, in what turned out to be last appearance.


Senior career

Eyjólfsson received his first call-up to the Iceland national team in May 2012 in a friendly against Sweden. Shortly after, he made his senior debut on 30 May 2012, coming on as a substitute for
Kári Árnason Kári Árnason (born 13 October 1982) is an Icelandic former professional footballer who played last for Icelandic club Víkingur and the Iceland national team. He has previously played for Djurgården, AGF Aarhus, Esbjerg fB, Plymouth Argy ...
in the 83rd minute, in a 3–2 loss. Following this, Eyjólfsson appeared three times as an unused substitute for the next two years. After a year absence, he was called up to the Iceland squad on 10 November 2014 as a replacement for Árnason, who suffered an injury. Two days later on 12 November 2014, Eyjólfsson made his first appearance in two years for Iceland against
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, coming on as an 84th-minute substitute, in a 3–1 loss. It wasn't until on 2 October 2015 when Eyjólfsson was called up to the national team squad for the first time in almost eleven months. A month later, he made his first start for Iceland against
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
on 13 November 2015, as the national team side lost 4–2. In May 2016, Eyjólfssonwas called up by the national team for the
UEFA Euro 2016 The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe ...
squad, but was on the stand-by instead. He later expressed his disappointment of not being included in the squad, in which Rosenberg manager Kåre Ingebrigtsen agreed with. Following the tournament, Eyjólfsson didn't make an appearance for Iceland until on 15 November 2016 when he started a match and played 80 minutes before being substituted, in a 2–0 win against
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
. After not playing for the national team for ten months, Eyjólfsson made his seventh appearance for Iceland against
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
on 11 January 2018, starting a match and scoring his first goal, in a 6–0 win. In May 2018, he was named in the national team's 23 man squad for the
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
in
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. However, due to competitions, Eyjólfsson never played in the tournament, as Iceland were eliminated from the Group stage. Following the tournament, Eyjólfsson made two appearances for the national team by the end of the year, starting a match against
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. After a year absence, he was called up to Iceland national team squad on 9 November 2019, but appeared as an unused substitute for both matches. It wasn't until on 16 January 2020 when Eyjólfsson made his appearance for the national team in a year against
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and scored his second goal for Iceland, in a 1–0 win. He later made five more appearances by the end of the year and made three starts.


Personal life

In November 2015, Eyjólfsson became a father when his partner, Jona, gave birth to a baby girl, Sylvia. In December 2018, the couple were married, having been dating for eight years. In March 2020, Eyjólfsson became a second time father when Jona gave birth to a baby boy. Growing up, Eyjólfsson said he grew up idolising
Gabriel Batistuta Gabriel Omar Batistuta (; born 1 February 1969) is an Argentine former professional Association football, footballer. During his playing career, Batistuta was nicknamed Batigol () as well as El Ángel Gabriel (; Spanish for ''Archangel Gabriel, ...
,
Raúl Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul. Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...
and Steven Gerrard. In addition to speaking Icelandic, Eyjólfsson speaks German, Norwegian and English.


Career statistics


Club


International

:''Scores and results list Iceland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hólmar goal.''


Honours

Rosenborg * Norwegian League: 2015, 2016 *
Norwegian Football Cup The Norwegian Football Cup ( no, Norgesmesterskapet i fotball for herrer) is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football ...
: 2015, 2016


References


External links

* *
Profile at LevskiSofia.info
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eyjolfsson, Holmar Orn 1990 births Living people Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson Men's association football defenders Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson Expatriate men's footballers in England Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium Expatriate men's footballers in Germany Expatriate men's footballers in Norway Expatriate men's footballers in Israel Expatriate men's footballers in Bulgaria Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson English Football League players Belgian Pro League players 2. Bundesliga players Eliteserien players Israeli Premier League players First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) players Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson West Ham United F.C. players Cheltenham Town F.C. players K.S.V. Roeselare players VfL Bochum players VfL Bochum II players Rosenborg BK players Maccabi Haifa F.C. players PFC Levski Sofia players 2018 FIFA World Cup players