BVB discovers new goal machine – 16‑year‑old likened to Nick Woltemade

From Iceland comes the 16‑year‑old Bjarki Gardarsson, who in July moved from UMF Stjarnan Gardabær to Borussia Dortmund and has already scored six goals in the first two games of the BVB‑U19; because of his size and scoring rate he is compared with Nick Woltemade and Erling Haaland.

Gardarsson measures 1.94 metres, so he is only one centimetre shorter than Erling Haaland. The striker comes from Iceland, a country with growing football talent, where he previously played for UMF Stjarnan Gardabær in the Besta deild. His early professional debut at the age of 16 years, 3 months and 6 days made him the fifteenth‑youngest player in the history of the Icelandic league.

Fast Start in the U19

In his first mandatory match in the cup against Holstein Kiel, Gardarsson scored a hat‑trick, although he also caused an own goal and the team lost 3‑4. Just a week later he converted a hat‑trick in eleven minutes in the league opener against Rot‑Weiß Oberhausen, which was already on the scoreboard after the 19th minute. Both appearances immediately drew comparisons with former BVB striker Nick Woltemade.

Overall he scored eight goals in six appearances for the BVB‑U19. In the following four games he added two more goals, including a decisive goal as a super‑sub in the 1‑1 draw against Duisburg. This gives him a scoring rate of more than one goal per game.

Coach Praise and Strengths

Coach Felix Hirschnagl praised Gardarsson for his composure in finishing and described his ice‑cold demeanor in front of goal as an outstanding quality. Thomas Broich, head of the youth performance centre, added that the striker is physically present, two‑footed and strong in set‑piece situations. Both emphasized that the young Icelander has been on the BVB’s radar for a long time.

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For the Icelandic youth national team Gardarsson collected 18 caps from U15 to U17 and scored ten times. Recently he netted another hat‑trick in the U17 European Championship qualification. A sinus infection caused him to miss a match in early September, but it did not affect his progress.

Early Professional Debut and Record

His debut in the Besta deild came at the age of 16 years, 3 months and 6 days, making him the fifteenth‑youngest ever. This early showing demonstrated that he can compete at a high football level.

In April 2025 Gardarsson visited the Signal Iduna Park to assess the training facilities. He completed trial sessions at FC Copenhagen and Red Bull Salzburg, while PSV Eindhoven and Nordsjælland also showed interest. Ultimately he chose the BVB, whose youth academy enjoys an excellent reputation across Europe.

Advice from Ebbe Sand

The former Schalke‑04 striker Ebbe Sand acts as Gardarsson’s personal advisor. In an interview with her, Sand said: “Gardarsson is a superb young man with a great attitude, he knows where the goal is and has huge potential, but still needs time to build muscle mass.”

Despite his impressive record, Gardarsson still has a long way to go to a career à la Erling Haaland, as Sand himself emphasizes. In the BVB senior squad he competes with talents such as Youssoufa Moukoko, Bradley Fink and Julian Rijkhoff, who have already made their first appearances. Gardarsson’s development therefore remains an exciting topic for the future of German football.