Birkir Bjarnason

• Full name: Birkir Bjarnason
• Date of birth: 27 May 1988
• Place of birth: Reykjavík, Iceland
• Height: 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
• Position: Central/Attacking midfielder
• Nationality: Iceland

Club career (selected highlights)

• Started at Víkingur Reykjavík (youth and senior debut)
• Moved to Sweden with Örgryte IS
• Played for Swedish side IFK Göteborg
• Had spells in Norway with Viking FK
• Played in Italy for Sampdoria
• Signed for FC Pescara and later for FC Pescara’s Serie A campaigns (loan/spell)
• Played for Aston Villa (did not make major first-team impact) and later had stints in Switzerland and Turkey among other clubs
• Also featured for Swiss side FC Basel and Turkish side Başakşehir (and others) during his career

International career with Iceland

• Made his senior international debut in 2008.
• Has been a long-serving member of the Iceland national team across multiple qualifying cycles.
• Key member of the Iceland squad that reached the quarterfinals of UEFA Euro 2016, scoring from the penalty spot in Iceland’s 2–1 group-stage win over Austria.
• Represented Iceland at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
• Known for his work rate, aerial ability, and powerful long-range shooting.

Notable attributes

• Strong physical presence and height for midfield battles.
• Good range of passing and ability to arrive late in the box to score.
• Experience across several top European leagues, bringing leadership and international experience to club and country.

Legacy

Birkir Bjarnason is regarded as one of Iceland’s important midfielders during the country’s most successful period in the 2010s, contributing key goals and performances at major international tournaments and providing veteran leadership for younger players.