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Eidur Gudjohnsen replaced father Arnor for his international debut in 1996 and now the Chelsea and B

Say the name ‘Gudjohnsen’ on any doorstep in Iceland and the person in the house is likely to respond with a loud 'thunder clap'.

The legendary surname is certainly iconic when it comes to football in the Nordic country.

Twenty-five years ago, against Estonia in Tallinn, 17-year-old Eidur made his international debut when he came on as a second-half substitute to replace his father, Arnór, a 34-year-old veteran marksman who had stints with Anderlecht and Bordeaux.

The Gudjohnsens had wanted to play together, but Iceland wanted that moment to take place in their own country. Unfortunately, Eidur suffered a serious injury soon after and, by the time he was fit again, Arnor had retired.

Describing the feeling of playing in the same team as his son, Arnor said in a 2018 interview: "It was of course emotional.

"It was a crazy thing to look across the changing room and see your own son there. I tried to be a good role model growing up and the best father I could be, and seeing Eidur in the same changing room as me gave me great pride as it showed that I had also done a good job in raising him."

Eidur said having the old man there definitely helped.

"I remember being very nervous. Not just at the possibility of playing with my dad but the whole idea of representing my country at such a young age. Having my dad in the changing room really helped - he was such a good role model and made me feel at ease. He made everything feel normal."

Arnor enjoyed success as a player, winning three Belgian league titles, top scoring for Anderlecht in the 1986/87 season and finishing as runner-up in both the UEFA and Cup Winners Cups in 1984 and 1990 respectively.

Eidur, though, went on to have legendary career in the game, winning two Premier League titles with Chelsea, two LaLiga crowns and a Champions League title at Barcelona as well as appearing 88 times for his country.

And Gudjohnsen Sr saw all the hallmarks of a great player at a young age and could see that he would follow in his footsteps from the age of 15.

"I remember thinking, 'Wow, he’s the best player on the pitch', he recalled of one of Eidur's training sessions.

"He had such great balance and was technically very good with both feet. I knew the next year or two would be crucial for his development but if he kept progressing he had a chance to play for the country."

Now, his three sons are hoping to emulate their decorated grandfather and father, who is the assistant coach of the national team.

Two of them are on their way to doing that already.

In what is another brilliant story involving the family, history was made on Wednesday night when Iceland hosted Liechtenstein in a World Cup qualifier at Reykjavik’s Laugardalsvöllur.

Eldest Sveinn and middle child Andri combined for a goal after coming on as substitutes in the 4-0 victory.

The former headed down a chipped ball into the box to his brother, who produced a tidy finish with their dad watching on proudly. 

Sveinn, 23, plays for Swedish side Elfsborg, while the two younger sons Andri, 19 and Daniel, 15 are both on the books of Real Madrid. 

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If they get anything close to achieving what their father and grandfather did, they’ll also have legendary status in Iceland.

Let’s hope their future kids get the memo.

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