Emil Pálsson (born 10 June 1993) is an Icelandic former professional

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 lea ...

who played as a

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

. He played in his native Iceland from 2008 to 2017 and was named the Úrvalsdeild Player of the Year in 2015. He later played several seasons in Norway before severe heart problems ended his career prematurely in 2022. After playing for several of Iceland's junior national teams, he made his lone senior team cap in 2016.

Club career

Emil started his career with local club

BÍ/Bolungarvík The Vestri men's football team, commonly known as Vestri, is the men's football department of the Íþróttafélagið Vestri multi-sport club and is based in Ísafjarðarbær, Iceland. As of 2024, it plays in the Icelandic top-tier Besta deild ka ...

before signing with FH at 18 years old. In 2015, he was loaned to

Fjölnir Fjölnir ( ) is a List of legendary kings of Sweden, legendary king in Norse mythology said to have been the son of Freyr (Frey) and his consort Gerðr (Gertha). The name appears in a variety of forms, including Fiolnir, Fjölner, Fjolner, and F ...

for the season. After stellar play with Fjölnir, he was recalled on 25 July and finished the season with FH. After the season he was named the Úrvalsdeild Player of the Year.

Cardiac arrest

On 1 November 2021, Emil collapsed and went into a

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...

while playing for

Sogndal Sogndal is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is located on the northern shore of the Sognefjorden in the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Sogn. The village of Hermansv ...

in a match against Stjørdals-Blink. He was successfully resuscitated, and was then flown to Haukeland University Hospital for further investigation and treatment. He resumed training after being cleared by doctors with the aim of rejoining Sarpsborg 08. In May 2022, after training for 4–5 months, he collapsed again and suffered another

while doing light training with FH. In August 2022, he announced his retirement from football.

International career

Emil made his first senior international appearance on 16 January 2016 in a match against the

UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a federal elective monarchy made up of seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as i ...

, playing 46 minutes before being substituted.

Career statistics

References

External links

* * 1993 births Living people Emil Palsson Emil Palsson Emil Palsson Emil Palsson Emil Palsson Men's association football midfielders Emil Palsson Emil Palsson Emil Palsson Sandefjord Fotball players Sarpsborg 08 FF players Emil Palsson Eliteserien players Norwegian First Division players Emil Palsson Expatriate men's footballers in Norway Emil Palsson 21st-century Icelandic sportsmen {{Iceland-footy-bio-stub