Jóhannes Eðvaldsson

Football player infobox
playername = Jóhannes Eðvaldsson
fullname = Jóhannes Eðvaldsson
nickname = Shuggy


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1950|9|3
cityofbirth = Reykjavík
countryofbirth = Iceland
height =
position = Centre-back
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years =
1975-1980 1980-1981 1981-1982 1982-1984
clubs = Valur FC Metz Holbek Celtic Tulsa Roughnecks Hannover 96 Motherwell
caps(goals) = 188 (36) 064 (17)
nationalyears = 1971-1983
nationalteam = Iceland
nationalcaps(goals) = 034 0(2)

Jóhannes Eðvaldsson (born 3 September, 1950 in Reykjavík) is an Icelandic former international football player of Estonian descent.cite news|url=http://ds.dial.pipex.com/bob.dunning/news58.htm|publisher=Bob Dunning 1970-71 Football review|title=News Archive|date=2005-09-30]

Playing career

Eðvaldsson started his career with Valur in his native land before short spells with Metz of France and Holbek of Denmark. He moved to Scotland in 1975, joining Celtic F.C. after a short trial. He played in almost every outfield position while at Celtic but was most suited to central defence. He was nicknamed "Shuggy" by the fans. After making 188 appearances for the Glasgow club, during which he scored 36 goals, Eðvaldsson moved to the USA in February 1980, joining NASL side Tulsa Roughnecks.

Eðvaldsson returned to Europe in 1981, joining German side Hannover 96.cite news|url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player/johannesedvaldsson.htm|publisher=Neil Brown player Records|title=Jóhannes Eðvaldsson|] He joined Motherwell in 1982 and played two seasons for the Fir Park side before retiring in 1984.

During his career he gained 34 caps [ [http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/ijs-recintlp.html Iceland - Record International Players] - RSSSF] for the Iceland national side, 16 of which were attained while with Celtic.

Coaching career

Eðvaldsson started a coaching career with Þróttur in 1984 but soon returned to live in Scotland, where his wife is from. He suffered a brain haemorrhage in 1995 but made a full recovery.

Family footballing connections

Eðvaldsson's father Evald Mikson was a former Estonian international goalkeeper in the 1930s, who was later Deputy Head of the Tallinn Police during the Nazi occupation. Accused of war crimes, Mikson fled Estonia at the end of World War II, eventually alighting in Iceland where he settled and raised a family, changing his name to the Icelandic Eðvald Hinriksson.

Eðvaldsson's brother Atli, seven years his junior, is also a former international footballer, who was for a period Iceland's record cap holder. Atli Eðvaldsson played most of his career in Germany with Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Uerdingen and Fortuna Düsseldorf before moving into coaching. He managed the Icelandic national side between 2000 and 2003.

References