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What Gylfi Sigurdsson is doing now seven years after £45m Everton transfer
Gylfi Sigurdsson was a key player for Everton during his first four years at the club, but he was frozen out in the final year of his contract before leaving in 2022
Icelandic footballer Gylfi Sigurdsson has returned to his roots, playing in his home country seven years after his high-profile transfer to Everton. The 34-year-old former Premier League midfielder was signed by the Toffees from Swansea City for a record-breaking £45million in 2017.
He was a key player for his first four seasons at Goodison Park but was excluded from Everton's final Premier League squad in September 2021. This marked the beginning of the end for the ex-Tottenham player's time in Merseyside, as he left the club the following summer when his contract expired.
After a period without a club, he joined Danish team Lyngby Boldklub in June 2023, following discussions with DC United, then managed by Wayne Rooney. "I hope that I can come in and contribute with a lot of experience and quality," Sigurdsson said upon signing a one-year deal with Lyngby.
"I know that there are a lot of young and talented players in the team, and I really want to learn from me so that we can lift ourselves up together."
However, due to injury problems, his contract was terminated in January, during which time he had given up his wages while recovering. Although he could have re-signed for Lyngby, a change in management led him to seek a new club.
He found this in Valur, a top-tier Icelandic team. He signed a two-year contract in March and made his debut on April 1 in the Super Cup.
Sigurdsson has also been striving to revive his international career following a lengthy break. After nearly three years away from the Iceland team, he was summoned for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Luxembourg and Liechtenstein last year, netting two goals against the latter to become his nation's top scorer.
Despite this, following Iceland's defeat in the play-offs by Ukraine, Sigurdsson is absent from the squad for Friday's friendly versus England at a packed Wembley and Monday's match against the Netherlands in Rotterdam.