Initially an outfield player for the KR academy in Iceland, Hákon Valdimarsson made the switch to goalkeeping when he moved to Grotta’s academy in 2015 and in late 2017 fully transitioned into the role.

“I have a slightly different story,” he admitted.

“I started as a goalkeeper when I was 15 years old. I was playing handball before that.

“The team I was playing handball for also has a football club, and the under-19s needed a goalkeeper. I was playing with them for a while, and then the first team needed a second keeper. The rest is history, really.”

Valdimarsson made his debut on the last day of the season in a 2-1 defeat to Leiknir Reykjavík, with Grotta already relegated.

In the Icelandic third division, Valdimarsson was the first-choice goalkeeper in a season that saw Grotta achieve promotion.

They achieved the feat again the following campaign, earning promotion to the Urvalsdelid, the top division of Icelandic football, for the first time in Grotta’s history with Valdimarsson playing every game for them.

After Grotta’s relegation, Valdimarsson moved to Swedish club IF Elfsborg. He struggled to get a run of games in his first season, but finally got his chance halfway through the following campaign and won the Goalkeeper of the Year award.

Valdimarsson kept 14 clean sheets in his last season at Elfsborg and earned the opportunity to test himself in the Premier League with Brentford in January 2024.

He was an unused substitute for the Bees’ last four games of the 2023/24 Premier League season.