How important can Jón Daði Böðvarsson be to Wrexham?
After injuries to Jack Marriott and Steven Fletcher, Phil Parkinson and Wrexham turned to free agency to add some attacking depth to their ranks.
Leading scorer Marriott is not expected to be available to the Red Dragons for the foreseeable future, potentially until February, while Fletcher is only just returning to the grass.
As an alternative, they signed Jon Dadi Bodvarsson to a short-term deal, a man who knows Parkinson well, playing under him at Bolton Wanderers in the Championship.
The Icelandic international traditionally operates as a centre forward, though his skill-set is far greater than just finding the back of the net.
Who is Jon Dadi Bodvarsson?
Born in Selfoss, Iceland, Bodvarsson began his senior career for his hometown club before moving to Viking, where he scored 15 goals in three seasons.
That caught the attention of FC Kaiserslautern, with the second-tier German side signing him to a three-year deal.
In 2016, he moved to England for the first time, signing with Wolverhampton Wanderers, before making stops at Millwall, Reading and Bolton.
Bodvarsson was a part of the Iceland squad at Euro 2016 and played in perhaps the biggest upset at that tournament when Iceland eliminated England in the round of 16 by a 2-1 score.
A different type of #9
When we think of the role of a No 9, one more often comes to mind: goals.
In the case of Bodvarsson, however, he’s never been a natural goalscorer but does plenty of other things extremely well.
Bodvarsson featured in 78 League One matches for Bolton, scoring 14 times, including four in 36 appearances last season.
He’s not going to step in and fill the shoes of Marriott, but his presence should benefit Wrexham’s goal machine, Paul Mullin.
The 32-year-old is a physical presence in the attacking third, who can draw defenders to him, which should help create openings for the likes of Mullin and Ollie Palmer.
His work rate should come in handy as he can win the ball in dangerous areas of the field, leading to chances for the Red Dragons.
Meanwhile, his hold-up and link-up play are two aspects of his game that could prove to be invaluable as Wrexham soldiers on without some key contributors.
He showed in a cameo in the FA Cup defeat at Harrogate how much a handful he can be with the right service.
Bodvarsson’s goals at Wrexham
After putting pen to paper, Bodvarsson said he hopes his time at Wrexham can rejuvenate his career.
“It’s about finding myself again over the next few months. I want to get my confidence back for myself, work hard for the club, and see where it gets me.”
He went on to say that Wrexham is a “very exciting club” right now and that he hopes to bring more success to the North Welsh side in the future.
Wrexham are currently third in the League One table and are preparing to take on fourth-placed Mansfield Town at the SToK Cae Ras on Saturday lunchtime where Bodvarsson will hope for another chance to get off the mark at his new club.
