New York City FC today announced the Club has signed defender Gudmundur Thórarinsson who played for Swedish club IFK Norrköping beginning in 2017.
He will join the Club pending the receipt of a P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC). Thórarinsson will occupy an international roster slot.
The 27-year-old Icelandic international has played as both a left-back and in central midfield throughout his career. Over the past three seasons, Thórarinsson featured 84 times in Sweden’s top division scoring four goals and adding 15 assists.
Thórarinsson said: “Joining New York City FC is a big decision for me in my career. I’ve only heard great things about the Club and I’m thrilled to get going and start playing football again.
“I’ve seen the way Ronny works and likes to play football, so that was a really big part of my decision. He likes to play possession football and keep the ball, which I love as well.
“I’m a creative person, so I like when I can play in different positions. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite, I simply enjoy playing football so I’m happy and I’ll give my all no matter which position I’m asked to play. The Icelandic DNA is to always give your best to the team.
“I’m focused now on getting to know the players and helping the Club. I’m really excited to develop my game and play well for New York City and I can’t wait to come and showcase my talent as a football player.”
Prior to joining Norrköping in 2017, Thórarinsson won the Tippeligaen and Norwegian Football Cup titles with Rosenborg BK in 2016. Thórarinsson has also played for Danish side FC Nordsjælland, Norwegian club Sarpsborg 08 FF and Ípróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja and UMF Selfoss in his native Iceland.
He’s also made double-digit appearances across both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League tournaments.
NYCFC Head Coach, Ronny Deila, said: “Gudmundur is a talented player and is a smart footballer on the pitch. He’s versatile and his technique on the ball is very good which is a tremendous fit for our system. He is also a competitor and goes about business in a professional way. I’ve heard nothing but great things about him as an individual and I’m really excited to welcome him into our team ahead of the season.”
Thórarinsson made his debut for the Icelandic national team against Sweden in 2014 as a 21-year-old. He’s gone on to make five total appearances, and most recently played for the senior team in 2019.
NYCFC Sporting Director, David Lee, said: “Gudmundur is a player we’ve been tracking for some time and we’re delighted he has chosen to join the Club ahead of other opportunities he had in Europe. We primarily see Gudmundur adding competition at left-back, but his versatility to play in multiple positions will be an asset for us as we compete in multiple competitions throughout 2020.
“He has a lot of experience across different leagues in Scandinavia, but also in European competition and at the international level with Iceland. We continue to build a deep squad and signing Gudmundur adds more depth at multiple positions which will be very beneficial for us as we enter the Concacaf Champions League next month.”
Everyone at the Club welcomes Gudmundur to NYCFC.
Name: Gudmundur Thórarinsson
Pronunciation: Good-mun-dur Tor-aron-son
Position: Left-back/Center Midfielder
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 170
Date of Birth: April 15, 1992
Age: 27
Birthplace: Selfoss, Iceland
Last Club: IFK Norrköping
How Acquired: Signed to contract
