Ex-Aston Villa midfielder announces retirement, Roy Hodgson loved him
Aston Villa have been back in the big time for six years after plenty of torrid seasons in the Championship.
The days of Steve Bruce’s boring football and Villa’s rotten recruitment are now long gone, with Unai Emery’s side now targeting top European players.
During Bruce’s time in charge, Aston Villa wasted millions on players like Scott Hogan, who never found his shooting boots at Villa Park.
Despite a disappointing transfer window in which key players like Jacob Ramsey moved to Newcastle, Villa supporters can be thankful that their recruitment is far better than it was in 2017.
Former Aston Villa midfielder Birkir Bjarnason announces his retirement
Former Aston Villa midfielder Birkir Bjarnason’s retirement will have gone under the radar after a busy deadline day.
The former Iceland international rounded off his retirement message writing: “A big thank you to all fans, teammates and coaches — but especially to my family for their constant support.”
Bjarnason was part of a poor batch of Villa recruits who never really got going at Villa Park in 2017.
The former Iceland international was joined by fellow midfield flops Henri Lansbury and Glenn Whelan, who both struggled to find consistency in the Midlands.
- Bjornason played for Aston Villa between 2017 and 2019 after signing from Basel for £1.5million
- He played 54 games and scored six goals across his tenure at Villa Park
- Aston Villa finished fourth in Bjarnason’s first season and fifth in his second
Bjarnason was part of the squad when a supporter infamously threw a cabbage at Bruce due to his boring style of football and poor form.
The 37-year-old had one more season with the Villans in 2018/19, but made just seven starts as Aston Villa returned to the Premier League via the playoffs.
Dean Smith’s side beat Frank Lampard’s Derby County 2-1 in the final, with goals from John McGinn and Anwar El Ghazi, but Bjornason wasn’t part of the matchday squad.
He was released just weeks later as it became clear that he wasn’t going to get any game time in the Premier League.
What Roy Hodgson has said about Birkir Bjarnason
Bjarnason was mentored as a youngster by former England manager Roy Hodgson, who gave him his first chance in competitive football while he was in charge at Viking FK.
“Birkir is very young, but has great potential,” the former England and West Brom boss said back in the day.
“He is athletic, good with the ball, and has a positive attitude. He has no significant weaknesses and excels both in attack and in defence. I am certain that his career will develop in the right direction.”
| Games | Goal contributions | Pass completion rate | Shots on target |
| 478 | 98 | 84.2% | 71.43% |
After leaving the Norwegian side, he never quite reached the heights that were expected of him.
Bjornason had his best run of games with Basel, but his form dipped after leaving Villa, and he spent time in Qatar and Turkey.
He then rejoined Viking FK, before finishing his career at Italian side Brescia.
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