Ívar Ingimarsson

Ívar Ingimarsson

Personal information
Date of birth	20 August 1977 (1977-08-20)
Place of birth	Stöðvarfjörður, Iceland
Height	6 ft ½ in (1.84 m)
Playing position	Centre back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1996–1999	Valur	45	(5)
1999	ÍBV	35	(5)
1999	→ Torquay United (loan)	4	(1)
1999–2002	Brentford	113	(11)
2002–2003	Wolverhampton Wanderers	13	(2)
2003–2011	Reading	238	(11)
2011–2012	Ipswich Town	8	(0)
National team‡
1998–2007	Iceland	30	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 07:02, 3 January 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 2 June 2008

Ívar Ingimarsson (born 20 August 1977 in Stöðvarfjörður, Iceland), is an Icelandic professional footballer.

Club career

Early years

Ingimarsson began his career with his local side Súlan (in Stöðvarfjörður), then joined Valur Reykjavík, making 45 league appearances and scoring five goals. In August 1998, he signed for fellow Icelandic side ÍBV, making a further 35 appearances in the Úrvalsdeild, and scoring five goals.

Ingimarsson joined Torquay United on loan from ÍBV in October 1999, scoring on his debut in a 2–1 victory at league leaders Barnet on 23 October 1999. Rumours were rife that a deal had already been done to take Ingimarsson elsewhere at the end of his loan spell, and, after four league games for the Gulls, he duly signed for Brentford in November 1999 for £200,000, confirming the fears of Torquay fans that he would never be a permanent fixture at Plainmoor.

While at Brentford, the band The Bluetones named one of their instrumental B-sides Ingimarsson in his honour; Adam Devlin, the guitarist, being a Bees fan. He was released by Brentford in June 2002, the Bees unable to pay his wages. He signed for Wolverhampton Wanderers the following month, but was unable to establish himself at Molineux, resulting in a loan spell with Brighton & Hove Albion in February 2003.

Reading

In October 2003, Ingimarsson was linked with a move to Crystal Palace, but snubbed them in favour of a move to Reading, whom he joined in a £175,000 deal on 23 October 2003 as Steve Coppell's first signing as Reading manager.

At Reading, he held a key place in the first team playing alongside Ibrahima Sonko. Together they formed one of the best defenses in the English Football League. On occasions he came up with the odd goal and proved vital in some games. He helped Reading to promotion to the Premier League in 2006 and played in Reading's first ever game in the top flight of English League football, a 3–2 win at home against Middlesbrough on 19 August 2006. On 13 November 2006, Ingimarsson signed a contract extension to keep him at Reading until June 2009, and on 5 May 2007 it was announced that he had been voted the 2006–07 Player of the Season by Reading fans.

On 4 July 2007, Ingimarsson signed an improved three year contract to keep him at Reading until the end of the 2009–10 season.

Following the release of Graeme Murty from Reading, and the arrival of new manager Brendan Rodgers, Ingimarsson was announced as Reading's new club captain on 7 August 2009.

Ingimarsson has played in all of Reading's FA Cup matches in the 2009/10 campaign including their famous 2–1 win over Liverpool FC at Anfield. He asked the new manager, Brian McDermott, to be rested for one game because he had played continuously since returning from injury in September. However, he was rested for two matches which were against Blackpool (which Reading lost 2–0) and for the match against Crystal Palace (which Reading won 3–1). Whilst playing in the 1–1 draw against Middlesbrough in March, Ingimarsson had to come off in injury time at the end of the match due to a hamstring injury. As a result, this injury would keep Ingimarsson out of action for the rest of the season.

Ingimarsson was then offered a new one year contract at the end of the 2009/10 season which he signed on the 14th May 2010. It was announced that, after eight years and 282 appearances for the Royals, Ingimarsson had been released from Reading. Former Reading captain Ady Williams stated that "Ivar will go down as a Reading legend".

Ipswich Town

On 13 June 2011, it was announced that Ingimarsson had joined Ipswich Town on a free transfer, following his release from Reading. Manager Paul Jewell announced the deal, with Ingimarsson handed a one-year contract.

Following a disappointing first half to the 2011–12 season, after six starts and two substitute appearances, on 7 January 2012 it was announced that Ingimarsson's contract had been terminated by mutual consent.

International career

Ingimarsson made his debut for Iceland in a June 1998 friendly match against South Africa. He opted to retire from international football for a period of just under two years because of arguments with the former joint-managers Ásgeir Sigurvinsson and Logi Ólafsson. He became available again once the pair were replaced by Eyjólfur Sverrisson, and made several further appearances before retiring again in 2007.

Career statistics

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Iceland			League		VISA-bikar		Deildabikar		Total
1996	Valur	Úrvalsdeild	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
1997			?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
1998			?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
1999			?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
	ÍBV		35	5	0	0	0	0	35	5
England			League		FA Cup		League Cup		Total
1999–2000	Torquay United (Loan)	First Division	4	1	0	0	0	0	4	1
	Brentford	Second Division	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
2000-01		Second Division	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
2001-02		Second Division	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
2002–03	Wolverhampton Wanderers	First Division	12	2	0	0	2	0	14	2
2003–04	Reading	First Division	25	1	1	0	2	0	28	0
2004–05		Championship	44	3	3	1	2	0	49	4
2005–06			46	2	3	0	4	0	53	2
2006–07		Premier League	38	2	3	0	1	0	42	2
2007–08			35	2	1	0	0	0	36	2
2008–09		Championship	26	1	0	0	3	0	29	1
2009–10			25	0	6	0	0	0	31	0
2010–11			13	0	1	0	0	0	14	0
2011–12	Ipswich Town	Championship	8	0	0	0	-		8	0
Total	Iceland		80	10	0	0	0	0	80	10
	England		376	25	18	1	14	0	408	26
Career total			456	35	18	1	14	0	488	36

Stats accurate as at 09:02, 22 February 2012

Honours

Brentford

• Football League Trophy runner-up: 2001

Reading

• Football League Championship winner: 2005–06

Personal life

He is married and has two children. His cousin is professional footballer Gunnar Heiðar Þorvaldsson who spent the second half of the 2009/2010 season on loan at Reading.

External links

• Ívar Ingimarsson profile at readingfc.co.uk
• Ívar Ingimarsson career stats at Soccerbase