Hólmbert Aron Briem Friðjónsson (born 19 April 1993) is an Icelandic professional footballer who plays as a striker for 2. Bundesliga club Preußen Münster.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hólmbert Aron Briem Friðjónsson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 19 April 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Reykjavík, Iceland | ||
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Preußen Münster | ||
| Number | 31 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2010 | HK | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2011 | HK | 29 | (7) |
| 2011–2013 | Fram | 43 | (11) |
| 2013–2015 | Celtic | 0 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | → Brøndby (loan) | 11 | (1) |
| 2015–2016 | KR | 20 | (3) |
| 2016 | → Stjarnan (loan) | 9 | (2) |
| 2017 | Stjarnan | 19 | (11) |
| 2018–2020 | Aalesund | 67 | (36) |
| 2020–2021 | Brescia | 9 | (0) |
| 2021–2024 | Holstein Kiel | 26 | (3) |
| 2022 | → Lillestrøm SK (loan) | 27 | (5) |
| 2024– | Preußen Münster | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009 | Iceland U17 | 4 | (1) |
| 2010–2011 | Iceland U19 | 6 | (2) |
| 2012–2014 | Iceland U21 | 10 | (5) |
| 2015– | Iceland | 6 | (2) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 May 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 31 March 2021 | |||
Club career
editIn July 2011 Hólmbert transferred to Fram Reykjavík after making his mark as a young player with HK in the Icelandic second tier.[2]
Keflavík-born[3] Hólmbert emerged as a stand out player during the 2013 season and his 10 goals were crucial to help Fram Reykjavík avoid relegation from the Icelandic top league. The player also scored three times for the team in the Icelandic Cup, which helped them win the competition for the first time in 24 years.[4] Hólmbert scored Fram's first goal in the Cup final, a 3–3 draw with Stjarnan, then converted his kick as Fram won on a penalty shootout, in a game that he described as "the highlight of my career".[5][6]
After trials in the Netherlands with Heracles and in Scotland with Celtic, Hólmbert signed a four-year deal to join the Glasgow giants, for a fee of around £100,000.[7] Although officially signing for the team on 1 January 2014 for the next transfer window, the player started training with his new club at the beginning of December 2013.[8][9] Hólmbert made the decision to join the Scottish club after speaking to teammates Steven Lennon and Alan Lowing who both played previously in the Scottish Premiership.[10][11][12][13][14]
Hólmbert joined Danish Superliga club Brøndby on loan in September 2014, after failing to feature in any competitive games for Celtic.[15] During the loan, Hólmbert made eleven league appearances, scoring one goal. After returning to Celtic, he was released on 2 July 2015 without ever making a first team appearance.[16] The same day, it was announced that he was returning to Iceland to play for KR Reykjavík on a 2.5-year contract.[17] On 1 August 2016, he signed for Stjarnan on a loan deal for the remainder of the season. He then made the move permanent after the season.
On 5 October 2020, he joined Italian club Brescia.[18]
In June 2021 it was announced Hólmbert would join 2. Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel for the 2021–22 season.[19] In the first half of the season, he struggled with injuries and played just 82 minutes.[20]
In January 2022 Hólmbert moved to Eliteserien club Lillestrøm SK on loan until the end of the year.[20]
At the start of the 2024–25 season he moved to 2. Bundesliga side Preußen Münster.[21]
International career
editHólmbert received his first call-up for the Iceland national team on 16 January 2015 in a friendly against Canada. He scored his first goal on 19 January 2015 in their return friendly against Canada.[22]
Career statistics
editClub
edit| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| HK | 2010 | 1. deild karla | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 | 4 | |
| 2011 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | – | 11 | 3 | |||
| Total | 29 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 7 | ||
| Fram | 2011 | Úrvalsdeild | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | 15 | 1 | |||
| 2013 | 21 | 10 | 5 | 3 | – | 26 | 13 | |||
| Total | 43 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 14 | ||
| Celtic | 2013–14 | Scottish Premiership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brøndby (loan) | 2014–15 | Danish Superliga | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | 13 | 1 | |
| KR | 2015 | Úrvalsdeild | 10 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2[b] | 0 | 14 | 5 |
| 2016 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[b] | 2 | 14 | 2 | ||
| Total | 20 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 28 | 7 | ||
| Stjarnan (loan) | 2016 | Úrvalsdeild | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 | 2 | |
| Stjarnan | 2017 | Úrvalsdeild | 19 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 25 | 11 |
| Aalesund | 2018 | Norwegian First Division | 28 | 19 | 1 | 0 | – | 29 | 19 | |
| 2019 | 24 | 6 | 3 | 3 | – | 27 | 9 | |||
| 2020 | Eliteserien | 15 | 11 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 | 11 | ||
| Total | 67 | 36 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 39 | ||
| Brescia | 2020–21 | Serie B | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 | 0 | |
| Holstein Kiel | 2021–22 | 2. Bundesliga | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 5 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 | 2 | |||
| 2023–24 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 2 | – | 16 | 3 | |||
| Total | 26 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 5 | ||
| Lillestrøm SK (loan) | 2022 | Eliteserien | 27 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4[c] | 3 | 34 | 9 |
| Career total | 260 | 79 | 27 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 298 | 95 | ||
- ^ Includes Icelandic Men's Football Cup, Danish Cup, Norwegian Football Cup, DFB-Pokal
- ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
International
edit- Scores and results list Iceland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hólmbert goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 January 2015 | UCF Soccer and Track Stadium, Orlando |  Canada |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly | [22] |
| 2 | 8 September 2020 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Belgium |
1–0 | 1–5 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A |
References
edit- ^ Hólmbert Friðjónsson at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)
- ^ "Framarar nældu í Hólmbert". MBL.is (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ "Hólmbert: Ætluðum ekki að hleypa þeim í leikinn". MBL.is (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 11 June 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ Halliday, Stephen (21 November 2013). "Celtic's Fridjonsson wants to win full Iceland caps". The Scotsman. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
- ^ Sveinsson, Skúli Unnar (17 August 2013). "Fyrsti bikarsigur Fram í 24 ár". MBL.is (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ McLean, Euan (21 November 2013). "I WANT TO BE A CUP TWINNER AT CELTIC; CELTIC LATEST Holmbert plans trophy double after picking up silver in Iceland". The Daily Record.
- ^ "Celtic complete deal for striker Holmbert Fridjonsson". BBC Sport. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
- ^ "Holmbert Fridjonsson: I'll have to fight for my place at Celtic, I'm not just going to walk into the team". The Herald. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
- ^ "Holmbert Fridjonsson confident of goals for Celtic after 'hitting the gym'". STV. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
- ^ Halliday, Stephen (21 November 2013). "Celtic: Fridjonsson persuaded by ex-Rangers pair". The Scotsman. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
- ^ "Lure of Champions League sold Holmbert Fridjonsson on Celtic move". STV. 20 November 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
- ^ McLean, Euan (21 November 2013). "Icelandic striker Holmbert Fridjonsson says Barcelona triumph sold him on Celtic move". The Daily Record. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
- ^ McLean, Euan (21 November 2013). "New Celtic hitman Holmbert Fridjonsson targeting another cup triumph - and an international call up". The Daily Record. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
- ^ Cully, Ronnie (21 November 2013). "Messi praise led Frid to Parkhead". The Evening Times. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
- ^ "Celtic: Holmbert Fridjonsson joins Brondby on loan". BBC Sport. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
- ^ Walker, Mark. "Holmbert Fridjonsson freed by Celtic". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "Holmbert Fridjonsson agrees move to KR Reykjavik after leaving Celtic". STV Sport. Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "Fridjonsson è un nuovo giocatore del Brescia" (in Italian). Brescia. 5 October 2020. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Holstein Kiel verpflichtet Isländer Holmbert Aron Fridjonsson". kicker (in German). 21 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
- ^ a b Nehmer, Marco (7 February 2022). "Isländer wechselt zu Lilleström SK: Holstein Kiel verleiht Hólmbert Fridjónsson nach Norwegen". Kieler Nachrichten (in German). Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ^ "Hólmbert Fridjónsson unterschreibt an der Hammer Straße" [Hólmbert Fridjónsson signs at Hammer Straße] (in German). Preußen Münster. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ a b Þórðarson, Tómas Þór (19 January 2015). "Hólmbert tryggði Íslandi jafntefli í Orlando". Vísir (in Icelandic). Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ "Hólmbert Friðjónsson". altomfotball.no (in Norwegian). TV 2. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ^ Hólmbert Friðjónsson at Soccerway
External links
edit- Hólmbert Friðjónsson at the Football Association of Iceland (in Icelandic)