Player Spotlight: Ivar Ingimarsson

Where does he rank on your list of all-time Reading defenders?

For this edition of ‘Player Spotlight’, the focus falls onto Reading’s record-breaking ‘106 squad’, while also exploring the events in the following seasons, when the Royals first experienced England’s top flight of football.

Centre-back Ivar Ingimarsson joined the Royals on October 23 2003. Upon completion, both parties agreed on a contract for a two-and-a-half-year stay. For an initial transfer fee of £100,000 from division rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers, alongside an additional £75,000 appearance fee to be paid based on game time, Ingimarsson became the first signing under new manager Steve Coppell. His versatility and confidence were desired attributes for Coppell’s squad, clearly shown throughout his time in Berkshire, playing a pivotal part in both promotion and Premiership efforts.

Unbeknown at the time, he would go on to not only represent his country on an international level, but also become widely regarded as one of the most technically talented defenders of his time. (Even now, the same could still be said!).

Next to fellow centre-half Ibrahima Sonko, both players were formidable, creating perhaps one of - if not the - strongest defensive pairings in English football. He played a key role in the promotion-earning 2005/06 side, appearing in every single match for his team, as well as scoring some impressive strikes from time to time. Perhaps the most significant during this period occurred in a 2-1 away victory against QPR in November, in which the Icelandic defender scored the match-winning goal, allowing Reading to return home from Loftus Road with all three points.

Across his career with Reading, he agreed to three separate deals, each extending his stay by three years, in November 2006, another three years at the end of the 2006/07 season and one year in May 2010. He received the guidance of three different gaffers: Steve Coppell, Brendan Rodgers and Brian McDermott, featuring in squads playing under different styles, with some instructing the team to keep possession above all else, perhaps having players continuously move and attack, whereas others instead preferred a more high-tempo pace, featuring back passes and energetic movements from all attackers.

Ultimately, he was released by the club on the June 2 2011, around seven and a half years after signing.

Teammates

Throughout his close to eight-year stay, many players arrived and departed. Some notable figures include Graeme Murty, who captained the record-breaking squad; Ady Williams; Andre Bikey, who featured between 2006 and 2009, including his loan move from Lokomotiv Moscow; Glen Little, renowned for playing for Reading between 2003 and 2009; and James Harper, who made 312 appearances between 2001 and 2010.

Ingimarsson scored 12 goals as a Royals, with the highest total occurring during the 2004/05 season in the Championship, in which Reading finished seventh, scoring three. The Royals’ efforts did not go amiss as they placed above teams such as current Premier League sides Burnley, Brighton & Hove Albion and Sheffield United. It was formally announced in May 2007 that he had been named as Player of the Season by the fans.

Also during this season, as previously mentioned, he signed a three-year contract, confirming his stay for the upcoming campaigns. Alongside this, in 2007, he announced his retirement from international football, as he believed it would be a priority to focus on club football and his impact on the team.

Additionally, Ingimarsson was honoured with the role of captaincy in August 2009, following the departure of defender Graeme Murty. During the 2009/10 campaign, he featured in every FA Cup match, eventually requesting to be rested. Unfortunately, also during this season, he was ruled out for the rest for the season due to a hamstring injury in a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough away in March.

Relevance to the 23/24 squad?

In terms of the modern day, Ingimarsson is still regularly referenced. Current centre-back Tyler Bindon has often been likened to Ingimarsson and is said to possess similar attributes and qualities to him. An example of this could be Ingimarsson’s crosses from the left into the midfield, which could be compared with Bindon’s regular long-ball passes, as both enable the attackers to press forward, forcing the opposition’s defence further back. Other similarities include their shared confidence as central defenders and their mutual strength in aerial duels.

Alongside this, Bindon’s current defensive sidekick Amadou Mbengue has similar traits to Sonko. Furthermore, when the Bindon-Abbey partnership featured as Ruben Selles’ regular combination at the back, Nelson Abbey was also considered to be similar in strength and agility to Sonko.

These comparisons have led to some people debating whether the current squad is perhaps the closest we have come in recent years to a team with similar energy, spirit, drive, passion and tenacity as those who achieved the impossible 18 years ago.

Where is he now?

After being released on a free transfer from Reading in 2011, Ingimarsson agreed to a one-year deal with Championship team Ipswich Town. However, after a mere six starts and two substitute appearances, his contract was terminated by mutual agreement just under seven months later.

After his short spell with the Tractor Boys, Ingimarsson officially retired, leaving a legacy of 484 senior appearances for eight clubs, with almost 52% of those happening at Reading. He returned to Iceland upon retirement and became involved in the tourism industry, a significant change from his sporting career.

Additionally, in February of this year, the Icelandic legend made a return to Berkshire to assist under-23s manager Noel Hunt - a teammate during his time at the Madejski Stadium. His expertise was passed on, helping to develop the next generation of football players.