Leeds United appointed Gretar Steinsson as the club’s technical director last summer, and Leeds Live has looked at how the Icelander could help the Whites during the transfer window.
Uwe Rosler isn’t exaggerating. At one point, the former Leeds United and Fleetwood Town boss spoke to Gretar Steinsson more than his wife.
“We had a very hot telephone line, that’s for sure,” the German smiled.
Those were days that shaped Steinsson as the technical director took some important first steps at Fleetwood on a journey that has led the Icelander to Leeds, the club he supported as a boy. It sounds like the stuff of dreams, but Steinsson always had such a strategic role in mind – right back to when he was still playing in his mid-twenties.
Steinsson made it a point to soak up knowledge behind the scenes while playing in six different countries, even noting what was going on in the analysis and medical departments, and the man who won dozens of caps for his country went on to earn a postgraduate degree in football management from the Johan Cruyff Institute. After retiring from football due to a career-ending knee injury in 2013, the multilingual worked as an assistant to the technical director at former club AZ Alkmaar before taking on his first technical director role at Fleetwood at the age of 33.
If it looked like a strange move, it is worth mentioning that Steinsson had roots in the North West from his time at Bolton Wanderers, and the former defender spelled out his vision when he first met with Fleetwood’s management 10 months ago. So, what did Steinsson bring to Fleetwood?
“Gretar was your typical Scandinavian and Icelander,” Rosler told Leeds Live. “Unlike me and the owner, he had a calm demeanor. He did an excellent job of balancing things out, and I trusted him.
“We were clear about what we wanted, and he worked hard to find the best solutions we could on a very limited budget.” We were still able to attract players to our club, primarily because of our style of play and our credibility in playing them.
“We didn’t have the money, status, or appeal to get the finished goods to Fleetwood Town, so we had to be smart in other ways, and Gretar was very smart. He had a very solid contact network with football teams who were willing to lend us their players on loan or with the option to buy, which is how we functioned. “That was our only chance.”
Steinsson made it a point to soak up knowledge behind the scenes while playing in six different countries, even noting what was going on in the analysis and medical departments, and the man who won dozens of caps for his country went on to earn a postgraduate degree in football management from the Johan Cruyff Institute. After retiring from football due to a career-ending knee injury in 2013, the bilingual worked as an assistant to the technical director at previous club AZ Alkmaar before taking on his first technical director post at Fleetwood at the age of 33.
If it looked like a strange move, it is worth mentioning that Steinsson had roots in the North West from his time at Bolton Wanderers, and the former defender spelled out his vision when he first met with Fleetwood’s management 10 months ago. So, what did Steinsson bring to Fleetwood?
“Gretar was your typical Scandinavian and Icelander,” Rosler told Leeds Live. “Unlike me and the owner, he had a calm demeanor. He did an excellent job of balancing things out, and I trusted him.
“We were clear about what we wanted, and he worked hard to find the best solutions we could on a very limited budget.” We were still able to attract players to our club, primarily because of our style of play and our credibility in playing them.
“We didn’t have the money, status, or appeal to get the finished goods to Fleetwood Town, so we had to be smart in other ways, and Gretar was very smart. He had a very solid contact network with football teams who were willing to lend us their players on loan or with the option to buy, which is how we functioned. “That was our only chance.”
Steinsson’s work at Fleetwood did not go unnoticed and the straight talker had subsequent spells as a chief European scout and head of recruitment and development at Everton; as an adviser to the Icelandic FA; and as a performance director at Spurs before joining Leeds last summer. While the role of technical director is wide-ranging, whether it is helping to connect various departments like the academy, loans and medical and sports science or setting the club’s long-term strategy, Steinsson has traditionally specialised in recruitment over the years.
Daniel Farke has already highlighted the ‘great support’ he has received in this area from Steinsson, who quickly became someone the Leeds boss could ‘trust to work in the background’ during a chaotic summer window a year ago. That was Rosler’s experience, too.
“Gretar is a very strong communicator and communicates in a very modern way,” the former Fleetwood manager said. “He uses words wisely but I knew all the time where I was. It was always clear what we could do and couldn’t do and who we could and couldn’t go for.
“I felt he was always very responsible with what he did. He wasn’t throwing the money left, right and centre because we didn’t have it. We had to think very wisely about how we spent the money that we had, especially in the first year.
“We had almost no disastrous signings because we couldn’t afford them. He was always looking out for the club’s best interests, but he also wanted us to succeed and was ambitious. He wanted to help me in the greatest way possible.”
Steinsson has subsequently set out to assist Farke, working alongside the Leeds manager, head of recruiting Jordan Miles, prominent consultant Nick Hammond, and CEO Angus Kinnear. Steinsson, for example, dealt with Swansea City’s owners and traveled to the Netherlands last summer to meet Joel Piroe, the striker’s family, and his agent, Theo Roebbers.
Over the course of a few hours, Steinsson explained Leeds’ long-standing interest in the 24-year-old, as well as the club’s research into him. Steinsson immediately earned the trust of Piroe and his team, who believed the Dutchman could progress to the ‘next level’ at Leeds, following prior interest from Leicester City, Southampton, and Atalanta.
Piroe had some challenging times in his debut season – even those closest to the £10.5 million signing admit he needs to ‘learn certain things’ – but the pursuit gives you an idea of how Steinsson works.
“Gretar has a big network and has been doing this for a while,” she said. “He won’t panic. He has been a player and a leader in a football team, so he understands all sides.
“Leeds are an entirely different species of fish, but the opportunities are significantly greater. The club can attract a wide range of players, each with unique financial opportunities.”
