Alfons

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Alfons Sampsted's journey from Iceland to top-flight football in Norway, the Netherlands, and England is marked by persistence and key contributions to title-winning sides. He began at Breiðablik in 2015, playing just one cup game before a loan to Þór. In 2016 he played most of Breiðablik's games as they finished 6th in the Úrvalsdeild. A transfer to IFK Norrköping in January 2017 followed, but he never cemented his place, spending loans at IF Sylvia, Landskrona BoIS, and back at Breiðablik. His breakthrough came in February 2020 when he joined Bodø/Glimt, replacing Erlend Reitan and becoming a key player as the club won their first Eliteserien title in 2020, repeating in 2021. On 27 December 2022 he moved to FC Twente. On 12 August 2024 he joined Birmingham City on a season-long loan with an option to buy, making a solid, no-nonsense debut the next day as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 EFL Cup win away to Charlton Athletic. After Birmingham won the EFL League One title in 2024–25, the club exercised their purchase option. On 24 January 2026 he returned to the Netherlands to join Go Ahead Eagles for an undisclosed fee.

In Their Own Story

The 2020 season with Bodø/Glimt was a turning point. Alfons, who had struggled for consistency at Norrköping, stepped into the right-back spot vacated by Erlend Reitan and helped the club secure their first-ever national title. He was a key player throughout that campaign, and the following year he added another Eliteserien medal as Bodø/Glimt repeated as champions in 2021. His move to FC Twente in December 2022 brought him to the Eredivisie, but it was his loan to Birmingham City in August 2024 that reignited his career. On 13 August 2024, just a day after signing, he made his debut as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 EFL Cup win away to Charlton Athletic, earning praise for a solid, no-nonsense performance. That season, Birmingham won the EFL League One title, and the club exercised their purchase option. In January 2026, he returned to the Netherlands, joining Go Ahead Eagles for an undisclosed fee.

Reader's Guide

Alfons Sampsted is a right-back who has played for clubs in Iceland, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and England. His career shows a pattern of persistence: after failing to cement a place at Norrköping, he found his form at Bodø/Glimt, where he was a key player in two title-winning seasons (2020, 2021). He replaced Erlend Reitan at Bodø/Glimt and helped the club win their first Eliteserien title. At Birmingham City, he made a solid debut as a substitute in a 1–0 EFL Cup win and was part of the squad that won the EFL League One title in 2024–25. The club then exercised their purchase option. He later moved to Go Ahead Eagles in January 2026. As of November 2020, he holds the record for most caps for the Icelandic U21 national team with 30 appearances.

Did You Know?

• Alfons Sampsted was born on 6 April 1998.
• He played just one cup game for Breiðablik in 2015 before going on loan to Þór.
• He replaced Erlend Reitan as right-back at Bodø/Glimt in February 2020.
• As of 15 November 2020, he is the highest-capped player of the Icelandic U21 national team with 30 games.
• He made his Birmingham City debut as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 EFL Cup win away to Charlton Athletic on 13 August 2024.