"Was definitely worth keeping" - Blackburn Rovers warned over Arnor Sigurdsson decision | OneFootball

The Icelandic midfielder has seen his contract at Ewood Park terminated after 18 months with the club

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Blackburn Rovers made the decision to terminate Arnor Sigurdsson’s contract at Ewood Park earlier this week, with the 25-year-old bringing an end his 18-month association with the Championship side.

Having joined from CSKA Moscow in the summer of 2023, the Icelandic midfielder struggled with injuries during his time in Lancashire, with just 17 starts during his spell with Rovers emphasising his lack of availability on match days.

After just five substitute appearances this season, the decision was made to part ways with the 25-year-old, with his initial contract set to elapse at the end of the current season.

With that in mind, we spoke to Football League World’s resident Rovers fan Simon Middlehurst about whether his club have made the right decision regarding the midfielder’s future.

Arnor Sigurdsson backed to kick on after Blackburn Rovers decision

The writing looked to be on the wall for Sigurdsson following his omission from Rovers’ 25-man playing squad earlier this month, with confirmation of his departure confirmed on Monday afternoon.

Having initially joined the club on loan from Russia in the summer of 2023, he became something of a fan favourite at Ewood Park after netting four goals in his first five appearances for his new side.

The midfielder was a regular in the side before being sidelined in March of last year, with an ankle issue sustained while on international duty ruling him out for the remainder of the campaign.

Full fitness hasn’t been restored since, with just five cameo appearances to his name this season, although he still managed to prove he has quality in his boots with a late winner against Oxford United back in August.

It is those glimpses of quality that Middlehurst believes his side could miss after their recent decision, and believes Sigurdsson will go on to thrive wherever he ends up next.

When asked about the parting of ways, Rovers fan Simon told FLW: “I still think Siggy [Arnor Sigurdsson] does have a lot to offer, there is definitely a player there.

“I do think with his age as well, he was definitely worth keeping and definitely worth including in the 25-man squad when he was almost back to fitness.

“He has shown at times that he is a quality player, he has just been let down by a few niggly injuries that have scuppered his time with us.

“I do think he still had something to offer, so it is a shame that he has been left out of the 25-man squad and it is a shame that he has gone.

“Hopefully he can kick on from here, as long as it doesn’t come back to bite us, I suppose.”

Arnor Sigurdsson pens message to Blackburn Rovers supporters after exit confirmed

Everyone at Ewood Park will be sad to see Sigurdsson depart the club, with the tenacious Icelander giving his all during his time in blue and white.

A change of scenario will offer a new challenge for the 25-year-old though, and he offered the following message on Instagram once the news was confirmed:

"It’s been an absolute pleasure wearing the shirt of Blackburn Rovers for the last 2 years.

"I want to thank all the players and staff for making me feel at home from day one, this group is truly special.

"This is not how I wanted my chapter here to end as I was looking forward to coming back to help the team fight for promotion, but this is football and some things are out of your control.

"To all the fans, thank you for all the support you’ve shown me through my ups and downs. The memories we’ve made together will stay with me forever, You’ve made this club feel like home, and I’ll carry that with me always.”

Where Sigurdsson goes from here is still up in the air, but with Rovers’ decision allowing him to find a new club outside of the transfer window, he could well have unfinished business in the EFL to tend to.