My great-grandfather was Arsenal's second foreign player and I would like to try my hand at the Premier League one day.

Albert Gudmundsson is Serie A's third top scorer with Genoa

He has been the shining star of Italian football this season. Clubs across Europe are struggling ahead of the summer transfer window. What is less known about Albert Gudmundsson is a family history steeped in English football, particularly at Arsenal, where his great-grandfather played in the 1940s.

Gudmundsson enjoyed an attractive Serie A campaign with Genoa. , deciding to stay with them in the second division to help them gain promotion. Only Lautaro Martinez and Dusan Vlahovic have scored more than him this season, with his 15 goals bringing the club close to securing a healthy mid-table finish.

His route to Italy took him through the Netherlands, where he played. for AZ Alkmaar under Arne Slot, but his path could easily have taken him to England after stints at Arsenal, who offered him a place in their academy, and Liverpool.

The decision to try out Dutch football was a sporting one as his heartstrings pulled him to north London. His great-grandfather, also Albert, played as an amateur inside forward at Highbury and was in their team in the early post-war seasons. He was the first Icelandic player in English football and then hung up his boots to go into politics and run for president.

“He’s my mother’s grandfather and she told me a lot of stories,” says Gudmundsson. “There was a book written about his career and after he stopped playing, so I know a lot about him and his life. It also inspires me because I knew that he had reached a very high level and I would like to achieve it too.” >Albert Gudmundsson Sr played for Arsenal in the 1940s. Photo: PA/Alamy

Gudmundsson, 26, describes himself as “born to be a footballer.” This is not just the story of his great-grandfather, who played for Arsenal, Glasgow Rangers and Milan. His mother, Kristbjorg Ingadottir, was a midfielder for Icelandic clubs, and his father Gudmundur Benediktsson was a player destined for the major European leagues before being injured.

“Looking back, it was the perfect combination,” Gudmundsson said. “In the summer in Iceland the sun almost never sets, so you spend the whole night playing football. I remember when I was 10 or 11, my mom had to come to the field and grab me so I could go home and sleep.

“It’s not like they pushed me into it, I fell in love with it. But they also took care of my technique. In fact, my entire childhood was connected with football. I would go out into the garden to play with my father or mother, and the TV would always show the Premier League or Italian football.”

Iceland has always been fascinated by the Premier League and Gudmundsson grew up watching it. David Beckham then admired the smaller technicians in the middle of the park — Jack Wilshere and Cesc Fabregas. There were connections there with his parents, as his father was a United fan and his mother, understandably given the family history, was an Arsenal fan.

When he was 15, Gudmundsson went to Arsenal, where he trained at the Academy several times and was able to join them. He still has a photograph of him and Wojciech Szczesny, who was in the first team at the time, while his age group saw him play with the Willock brothers, Chris and Joe, Alex Iwobi and Gedion Zelalem.

«I went there four or five times when I was about 15. It's been more than two years and the academies in England are going crazy with such good conditions,» Gundmundsson said. “The director of the academy at the time was Liam Brady, he really looked after me and my dad and treated us very well.”

“We went to Liverpool a couple of times, but my dad and I decided to take the first step into Holland. I don't know if it's right or wrong, I don't think there's one right answer, but we thought it would be best for my career at the time. The path to the first team from the England youth team can be a long one.”

The decision to move to the Netherlands paid off when he broke into the AZ Alkmaar team after a spell at PSV. It was in AZ that he met Slot, Liverpool's top target to replace Jurgen Klopp, who made a big impression on the young player.

“During my time at PSV we had a lot of big names who were assistant coaches for all young people,” said Gudmundsson. “Proper names such as Ruud van Nistelrooy, Mark van Bommel, Boudewijn Zenden.

“When I was in the AZ first team, I had Arne Slot and I believe that he can become a coach of a very high level. I didn’t always play under his leadership, but I saw how he prepared tactically and mentally before the games.”

The move to Genoa came just before the January 2022 deadline. With less than six months left on his contract, he had to make a quick decision. “I didn’t have a lot of time to find out anything about the coach or the club, so I did a quick Google before my flight left in an hour and said, ‘Bloody hell!’” he said.

Despite the departure, it was a good decision. He was their top scorer in Serie B and that form continued this season.

Gudmundsson remained at Genoa after their departure. to Serie B and has now won the award again in Serie A. Photo: Getty Images/Simona Arveda

“I always waited for the moment, and this season it came out of me,” he said. “I'm very pleased with what I've seen this season. I also had good statistics last season in Serie B and that gave me confidence for this season.

I knew I always had the qualities — good finishing, good final pass, good standards. Now I feel like it's finally coming out. I'm not sure what made it come out, maybe just age, maturity and getting to know the league better.”

He was linked to clubs at the top of Serie A, as well as Premier League clubs. for example, Tottenham, where his close friend Radu Dragusin moved this season.

“I really want to test myself at the highest possible level,” he said. “I feel good here and I’m still under contract here at Genoa and I want to finish the season and see what happens, but obviously as a player and a football lover, my dream was to play at the highest level. That's always my ambition.»

Could this mean England? “I've always thought about playing in the Premier League since I was a kid, so obviously I definitely want to give it a try.”