Skalák about foreign engagement: England and the Premier League has always been my dream. I appreciate the promotion with Brighton, it was wonderful to be there

Jiří Skalák’s career is quite interesting. The Sparta Prague graduate also tried his hand in the UK, but he didn’t get his dream start in the Premier League. How does he remember this time?

Now thirty-one years old, Jiří Skalák is playing for České Budějovice, but a better future was predicted for him. The Sparta Prague alumnus was at the title in 2013/14, although he only appeared in three games.

He was not able to make it in the team, he was a guest in Brno and Mladá Boleslav, where he made his mark. Středoces subsequently exercised their transfer option on him and the winger could rest assured that he was finally somewhere at home.

His autumn performances were so good that an offer came from English second division side Brighton, which he accepted. He made regular appearances there, and in his second season was one of those who dug out promotion to the Premier League.

But the leap was too big. The rock didn’t play the Premier League, even due to injury he only played in the cups. “After the promotion, my workload was zero, but I didn’t want to give up my dream and taste the English league.

However, after six months I got injured in the FA Cup and I only played a minimum of games altogether,” he said in an interview with Dloubak. He had to address his future as a result and eventually moved to Millwall.

“I thought I’d kick on again but it didn’t happen. After I left Brighton I was deciding between Millwall and Hull, which I probably should have preferred. But who knows how it would have turned out,” he added.

He didn’t start his career again, didn’t play much in two and a half years due to the coronavirus and eventually returned to Mladá Boleslav as a free agent. Today he is a player of Dynamo České Budějovice and he remembers his career in the Islands in a good way.

“England and the Premier League has been my dream since I was young. I appreciate the promotion with Brighton, it was wonderful to be there. It wassimilar to qualifying for EURO 2016,” he finished.

Source: Dloubak