Signing number four – Joey Gudjonsson

Last updated : 22 January 2007 By Tony Scholes
Gudjonsson, or to give him his full name Jóhannes Karl Guðjónsson, has completed a move from AZ Alkmaar for £150,000 and has signed a deal with the Clarets until the end of the 2009/10 season.

It is a signing that has come out of the blue, with news breaking via an Icelandic web site on Saturday morning, as we awaited news on the pitch for the home game against Norwich, and from that moment on it looked clear that the Icelandic international was set for Turf Moor.

Born in Akranes in 1980, he began his career with his local club, but since leaving Iceland in 1998 to further his career he has played his football in Belgium, Holland, Spain and England where he had loan spells with Aston Villa and Wolves before signing a two year deal with Leicester that ended at the end of last season.

He's been back in Holland since with AZ Alkmaar but has been unable to establish himself in the Eredivisie side and it is believed we were alerted to his availability when the Dutch club decided to allow him to move on.

Gudjonsson is a tough midfielder and has certainly collected enough yellow cards to confirm that, no fewer than twenty-three of them during his two years at Leicester. He also has a reputation for scoring spectacular goals, none more so than the one against Hull last season, that beat Boaz Myhill after being struck from the half way line.

Leicester fans have spoken fondly of him, and the reaction from their fans has suggested they would have been delighted to have seen him return to the Crisp Bowl. But he hasn't, he's now a Claret and is available for tomorrow's home game against Stoke.