Heiðar Helguson
Heiðar Helguson (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈheiðaːr ˈhɛlkuˌsɔn]; born 22 August 1977) is an Icelandic former professional footballer who played as a striker.
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Heiðar playing for Cardiff City in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Heiðar Helguson | ||
| Date of birth | 22 August 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Akureyri, Iceland | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1985–1993 | UMFS Dalvík | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–1994 | UMFS Dalvík | 11 | (5) |
| 1995–1997 | Þróttur | 54 | (31) |
| 1998–1999 | Lillestrøm | 43 | (18) |
| 1999–2005 | Watford | 174 | (55) |
| 2005–2007 | Fulham | 57 | (11) |
| 2007–2009 | Bolton Wanderers | 7 | (2) |
| 2008–2009 | → Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 7 | (3) |
| 2009–2012 | Queens Park Rangers | 68 | (24) |
| 2009–2010 | → Watford (loan) | 29 | (11) |
| 2012–2013 | Cardiff City | 38 | (8) |
| 2015 | Skautafélag Reykjavíkur | 2 | (1) |
| Total | 490 | (169) | |
| International career | |||
| 1994–1996 | Iceland U19 | 18 | (2) |
| 1997–1999 | Iceland U21 | 6 | (1) |
| 1999–2011 | Iceland | 55 | (12) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Heiðar started his career in the Icelandic league system, with UMFS Dalvík and Þróttur. Following a one-season spell in Norway with Lillestrøm SK, Heiðar moved to England to play for Watford in 1999, with Lillestrøm receiving a transfer fee of £1.5 million. The English media anglicised his name to Heidar when he joined Watford – it is by this given name that he is commonly known in England.
Although Watford were relegated from the Premier League during his first season at the club, Heiðar was a prolific goalscorer, finishing as the team's top scorer in the 1999–2000, 2002–03 and 2004–05 seasons, before being sold to Fulham in 2005. He played Premier League for them between 2005 and 2007, and Bolton until 2009, before transferring to Championship side QPR in 2009. After a return to Watford on loan in the 2009–10 season, Heiðar played regularly for QPR in 2010–11, as they secured promotion to the Premier League as champions. In QPR's first Premier League season since 1995–96, Heiðar finished as the team's top scorer, helping them to secure Premier League survival on the last day of the 2011–12 season. He subsequently joined Cardiff City.
Heiðar played and scored for his country at under-19 and under-21 levels, before making his debut for the senior team in 1999. He earned 55 caps for Iceland, scoring 13 goals, before retiring from international football in 2011.