Chelsea v KAA Gent: Gudjohnsens return to Stamford Bridge for Conference League
The Gudjohnsens have all been forwards, inspired by the goalscoring feats of the previous generation.
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Arnor: The grandfather, regarded as a legend at Anderlecht.
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Eidur: Iceland’s most famous and successful player, now watching his sons with pride.
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Sveinn: Eldest son, playing in Norway with Sarpsborg in a career spanning six countries.
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Andri: Middle son – a striker who signed for Gent this season.
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Daniel: Youngest son, currently at Swedish club Malmo.
Andri continues, refering to his grandfather’s spell at Anderlecht and his dad’s at Club Brugge: “It’s just strange, really, that three generations of a Gudjohnsen player also end up here in the Belgian League and in one of the big teams.
“I wanted to be a goalkeeper when I was younger, but I think seeing my dad score a lot of goals throughout his career probably just inspired us boys.
“We want to score also, and to be kind of the main man up front, the one who scores all the goals. So yeah, it’s probably just something that was passed on down the generations.”
Eidur came on for his father when making his international debut. He was also assistant manager when Sveinn set up a goal for Andri in 2021, but being from a footballing family has its pitfalls.
“My father, for example, in Iceland, could barely go out on to the streets without people asking for pictures and signatures, and also in Chelsea and Barcelona. But at the end of the day he was just my dad to me. It’s just something that you grow up with.
“My oldest brother perhaps took the biggest hits when it came to being compared to our father since he was the first born.
“You kind of get used to it, and you learn how to deal with it.”
Talking about his father’s influence, Andri adds: “He’s found a kind of good balance between not being too critical or too involved in our business when it comes to football, but also being there for us when we need support or his advice.”
