Good Player Guide #12 – Gylfi Sigurðsson

Gylfi Sigurðsson
(Reading / Iceland)

The fresh-faced midfielder strides forward with the ball at his feet. It’s his first competitive start. Admittedly, it’s a League Cup Third Round match against League Two opposition, and only one of the stands is open, but it’s a start. He stands thirty five yards from the goal. Looking up, he sees space in front of him, and the opposition goalkeeper poorly positioned.  He aims for the right hand post, and lets fly. Welcome to the world of professional football, Gylfi Sigurðsson.

Only two months after scoring his first professional goal in that August match, Sigurðsson became established in the Reading side. He’d been in and out of the side for a while, despite adding a league goal against Peterborough in one of his first league appearances. Now, he was wanted to play as one of a three man midfield, alongside two other creative players. A flurry of goals and assists followed, but the team remained stranded near the foot of the table. He was moved to an unfamiliar left wing position, as Brendan Rodgers made his umpteenth lacklustre formation change.  Still Sigurðsson’s rich form continued.

With Reading’s form seeing only brief upturns, manager Rodgers was sacked in December 2009, along with his assistant Dean Austin and his “football consultant”, Frank Lampard senior. Brian McDermott, chief scout and reserve team manager, was appointed caretaker manager with immediate effect. With several players highly disillusioned, McDermott had quite a task on his hands. Indeed, he didn’t instantly turn things around as many had hoped.

Reading were drawn at home to struggling Liverpool in the FA Cup. However, the turmoil at Liverpool, on pitch at least, was nothing compared to Reading’s woes. There was only likely to be one outcome, especially given that both Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres would be playing.

However, it was Sigurdsson, along with Jem Karacan, long his midfield partner in Reading’s youth and reserve sides, who stood out in a match against a side containing several seasoned internationals. Sigurðsson could have had a penalty, and regularly tested José Reina in the Liverpool goal. Another Reading academy graduate, Simon Church, gave Reading the lead, but Gerrard equalised for Liverpool soon afterwards.

In the replay at Anfield, 20-year-old Sigurðsson again demonstrated his vision and technical ability on national television. Reading fell behind in the first half to an unfortunate Ryan Bertrand own goal. When Shane Long, one of the players most inspired by McDermott’s guidance, won a penalty in the dying seconds, Sigurðsson remained composed, and scored to take the match into extra time. Long added a winner- his second goal at Anfield in a short career- and Reading had provided one of the upsets of the season. Sigurðsson was the face of the improbable victory.

Reading’s form picked up immensely, with Sigurðsson benefiting from the confidence of those surrounding him. Now playing in his preferred position- just behind a lone striker- the goals began to flow. Reading’s 4-2-3-1 system suited him perfectly. It was Sigurðsson who scored the late winner against Burnley to see Reading through the next round of the FA Cup. He also scored a crucial goal against West Brom at the Hawthorns, and his excellently weighted through ball sent Jimmy Kébé scampering away immediately prior to Reading’s second goal against Aston Villa.

Reading surged up the table, with Sigurðsson at their apex. He finished the season with 20 goals and 10 assists- a remarkable tally for a midfielder in his breakthrough season, and the highest tally goals tally achieved by a Reading player since their record breaking season four years ago.

If Sigurðsson’s performances had come in any of the past ten seasons, he would have been lauded even further. However, several other Championship midfielders achieved similar goal totals to Sigurðsson, so his achievements, though no less impressive, are not nearly as outstanding as they would be. Still, he’s now a full Iceland international, one of, if not yet the best player in England outside the top flight, and will be eligible for British citizenship in October. Already linked with PSV Eindhoven amongst others, if Reading don’t win promotion in the coming season, expect Sigurðsson to be heading to the Premier League anyway.

(pic via The Royal Photographer on Flickr)

England, English Championship, Football League, Good Player Guide, Gyfli Sigurðsson, Iceland, Reading