Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson

Icelandic footballer

Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson
Rúnarsson with Dijon in 2019
Personal information
Full name Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson[1]
Date of birth (1995-02-18) 18 February 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth Reykjavík, Iceland
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
Copenhagen
Number 31
Youth career
2012–2013 KR Reykjavik
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2014 KR Reykjavik 3 (0)
2014–2018 Nordsjælland 60 (0)
2018–2020 Dijon 36 (0)
2020–2024 Arsenal 1 (0)
2021–2022 → OH Leuven (loan) 18 (0)
2022–2023 → Alanyaspor (loan) 30 (0)
2023–2024Cardiff City (loan) 6 (0)
2024– Copenhagen 0 (0)
International career
2011 Iceland U16 2 (0)
2012 Iceland U17 1 (0)
2012 Iceland U18 2 (0)
2012–2014 Iceland U19 9 (0)
2013–2016 Iceland U21 17 (0)
2017– Iceland 27 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 December 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:25, 14 October 2023 (UTC)

Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson (born 18 February 1995) is an Icelandic professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Danish Superliga club Copenhagen and the Iceland national team. He has also previously played for Dijon, Nordsjælland, KR Reykjavik and Arsenal.

Family

Rúnar Alex is the son of Rúnar Kristinsson, a former professional footballer.[2][3]

Club career

Rúnar Alex was player of the season for FC Nordsjælland in the 2017–18 Danish Superliga.[4] In June 2018, Rúnar Alex joined French side Dijon on a four-year agreement.[4]

Arsenal

On 21 September 2020, Rúnar Alex signed for Premier League club Arsenal on a four-year deal. He chose the number 13 at the club.[5] Rúnar Alex made his debut for the club on the 29th October 2020, keeping a clean sheet in a 3–0 UEFA Europa League win over League of Ireland side Dundalk at the Emirates Stadium.[6]

Arsenal faced Manchester City in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on 22 December. With the score at 1–1, Rúnar Alex let Riyad Mahrez's free kick slip through his arms to put Manchester City back in front. Arsenal lost the tie 4–1.[7][8]

After first choice goalkeeper Bernd Leno was sent off against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 2 February 2021, Rúnar Alex made his Premier League debut as a substitute for Thomas Partey in a 2–1 away defeat.[9]

Loan spells

On 31 August 2021, Rúnar Alex joined Belgian First Division A club OH Leuven on loan until the end of the season.[10] On 27 October 2021, Rúnar Alex made his first appearance of the season for OH Leuven in their 2–1 Belgian Cup win over Lierse Kempenzonen,[11] with his league debut coming one month later on 26 November 2021 in a 1–3 away win to league leaders Union SG.

On 15 August 2022, Arsenal announced that Rúnar Alex was loaned to Süper Lig side Alanyaspor.[12]

On 18 August 2023, Rúnar Alex joined Championship side Cardiff City on a season long loan.[13] He was recalled on 1 February 2024 to Arsenal, where he was released on a free by mutual termination.[14]

Copenhagen

Rúnar Alex made the move to Danish side Copenhagen on 1 February 2024 via a free transfer.[15]

International career

Having previously represented his country at youth level, Rúnar Alex was called up to the senior Iceland squad for the 2017 China Cup, where the team became the silver medalist[16][17] He earned his first senior cap in a friendly against the Czech Republic on 9 November 2017.

In May 2018, he was named in Iceland's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[18]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 12 December 2023[19]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
KR Reykjavik 2013 Úrvalsdeild 3 0 0 0 1[a] 0 4 0
Nordsjælland 2013–14 Danish Superliga 0 0 0 0 0 0
2014–15 Danish Superliga 1 0 0 0 1 0
2015–16 Danish Superliga 3 0 0 0 3 0
2016–17 Danish Superliga 20 0 0 0 20 0
2017–18 Danish Superliga 36 0 0 0 36 0
Total 60 0 0 0 60 0
Dijon 2018–19 Ligue 1 25 0 4 0 1 0 1[b] 0 31 0
2019–20 Ligue 1 11 0 2 0 1 0 14 0
Total 36 0 6 0 2 0 1 0 45 0
Arsenal 2020–21 Premier League 1 0 0 0 1 0 4[a] 0 6 0
2021–22 Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022–23 Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023–24 Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 1 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 6 0
OH Leuven (loan) 2021–22 Belgian Pro League 18 0 3 0 21 0
Alanyaspor (loan) 2022–23 Süper Lig 30 0 2 0 32 0
Cardiff City (loan) 2023–24 Championship 5 0 0 0 2 0 7 0
Career total 154 0 11 0 5 0 5 0 1 0 176 0
  1. ^ a b Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
  2. ^ Appearance(s) in Ligue 1 relegation play-offs

International

As of match played 14 October 2023[20]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Iceland 2017 1 0
2018 4 0
2019 0 0
2020 2 0
2021 5 0
2022 8 0
2023 7 0
Total 27 0

References

  1. ^ a b "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia: List of players: Iceland" (PDF). FIFA. 10 June 2018. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Rúnar Kristinsson: Stefán er góður kostur". Mbl.is. 30 November 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  3. ^ "Rúnar Kristinsson". Visir.is. 7 January 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Rúnar Alex genginn í raðir Dijon". Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Pictures: Alex Runarsson in Arsenal colours". www.arsenal.com. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  6. ^ Collings, Simon (30 October 2020). "Arsenal XI v Dundalk: Team news and starting lineup". www.standard.co.uk.
  7. ^ James, Josh (22 December 2020). "Match Report: Arsenal 1-4 Man City". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Holders Man City thrash Arsenal to book EFL Cup semi-final spot". BBC Sport.
  9. ^ "Wolves 2-1 Arsenal: David Luiz and Bernd Leno sent off as Gunners lose". 2 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Alex Runarsson joins OH Leuven on loan". www.arsenal.com. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Loan Watch: Moller brace and Clarke wondergoal". www.arsenal.com. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  12. ^ "Alex Runarsson joins Alanyaspor on loan". Arsenal F.C. 15 August 2022.
  13. ^ "Alex Runarsson joins from Arsenal on loan". Cardiff City F.C. 18 August 2023.
  14. ^ "Released! Arsenal back-up goalkeeper leaves on free transfer 'by mutual agreement' after making just one Premier League appearance for Gunners". Goal.com. 1 February 2024.
  15. ^ "Rúnarsson ny FCK-keeper". F.C. København (in Danish). 4 February 2024.
  16. ^ "Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson | Félagsmaður | Mótalisti | Mótamál | Knattspyrnusamband Íslands". Ksi.is (in Icelandic). 7 January 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  17. ^ "Sjö nýliðar með karlalandsliðinu til Kína". Ruv.is. 2 January 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  18. ^ Crawford, Stephen (4 June 2018). "Revealed: Every World Cup 2018 squad - Final 23-man lists". Goal. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  19. ^ Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson at Soccerway
  20. ^ "Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson". EU-Football.info. 23 June 2018.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson.
  • v
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F.C. Copenhagen – current squad
  • v
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Iceland squad2018 FIFA World Cup
Iceland