Alex Král is another Czech in the Premier League, how did his famous predecessors do?

A total of 27 Czech footballers played in the best league in the world. Some shone, others fell into oblivion. Czech midfielder Alex Král, a fresh signing from West Ham, will follow in their footsteps. Let’s recall the most interesting Czech players who appeared in the famous Premier League. How did Tomáš Rosický, Petr Čech, Karel Poborský or Milan Baroš do?

Milan Baroš

PL tenure:: 2002-2008
Clubs: Liverpool, Aston Villa, Portsmouth

One of the best strikers the Czech national team has ever had. He spent a number of successful years in the Premier League, especially at Liverpool. He wore the Liverpool jersey between 2002-2005. He was never the clear leader of the attack, but it was a very successful engagement.

He scored 27 goals in 108 games. With the team he won the English League Cup and especially the Champions League in 2005. He had a big part in Istanbul’s great turnaround. He left Liverpool after the Champions League triumph. In the Premier League he still played at Aston Villa and Portsmouth, here he was not so successful. In any case, Baros left an indelible Czech mark on the Premier League.

Patrik Berger

PL tenure:: 1996-2008
Clubs: Liverpool, Portsmouth, Aston Villa

Patrik Berger played in the Premier League for 12 long years, spending a significant part of his career in England. Only Petr Cech has played more seasons in the Premier League. Berger has been through the same clubs as Baros. He, too, had his most successful period at Liverpool. He was lucky enough to be in The Reds squad along with Baroš and Šmicer.

His Liverpool tenure lasted 7 years. One of his greatest weapons was a great shot from distance, his productivity was awesome. In 196 games he scored 35 goals, notched 24 assists. He was there for the successful era of Liverpool at the start of the new century. He won the UEFA Cup, the European Super Cup and the FA Cup with the Reds. Really great numbers for a midfielder. Unfortunately, he was plagued by injuries quite often, otherwise he would have had an even bigger career.

Karel Poborský

PL career:: 1996-1998
Club: Manchester United

Another player who benefited from a successful EURA 1996, where the Czechs won silver. His iconic long ball in the quarter-final against Portugal was unforgettable. The successful tournament earned Poborský a loan spell at Manchester United under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson. The Red Devils were then enjoying a very successful period, picking up one title after another.

They also had a very busy squad and the Czech player paid the price. He was never able to fully assert himself in the competition with Giggs or Beckham. In 45 games he scored only 5 goals. In 1996/97 season he won the title with the team, after 2 years he left the Premier League. He didn’t make a dent in this league.

Vladimir Smicer

PL tenure:: 1999-2005
Club:: Liverpool

The Czech international had a very successful career at Liverpool. Šmicer spent a successful 6 seasons there. In 184 games he has 19 goals + 29 assists. He was often hampered by injuries, so he was not one of the stable members of the starting lineup. Winner of the FA Cup, with the team twice dominated the English National Cup, he is the winner of the Champions League from the 2004/05 edition.

It was the Istanbul final that was his brightest moment in a Liverpool jersey. He scored the goal that reduced the score to 2:3 and converted the decisive penalty. He was one of the main architects of this turnaround. Rarely, it was his last game in an LFC jersey. Šmicer said goodbye to Liverpool in the best possible way and left as the greatest king.

Petr Čech

PL tenure:: 2004-2019
Clubs: Chelsea, Arsenal

The best Cech to ever play in the Premier League. English league legend. 202 clean sheets, most zeros in a single season (24), four-time Golden Glove winner. The best goalkeeper in Premier League history, according to many. Very high in the overall rankings of the best goalkeepers in history. Had great reflexes and goal line saves, not even a serious head injury stopped him.

His greatest achievements have been with Chelsea. Champions League triumph, 4 league titles, Europa League winner, even won the English National Cup on 9 occasions! A truly remarkable career that Cech has had in the PL. Towards the end of his career he still transferred to Arsenal, where he also thrived. He won the English Super Cup with the Gunners, and helped the team to reach the Europa League final.

Tomas Rosicky

PL tenure:: 2006-2016
Club: Arsenal

Czech virtuoso. Little Mozart. A player with God-given talent. But for years he was plagued by numerous health problems that prevented him from reaching his full potential. But when he was healthy and fit, his brilliant creative feats were a joy to behold. Despite his poor health, he had a relatively successful career at Arsenal.

In 170 games he scored 19 goals and 14 assists. He won 4 trophies with the club (2x English National Cup, 2x English Super Cup). Too bad about his health complications. He had a huge potential, but his body didn’t allow him to fulfill it 100%.

The last 2 players may not be that top footballers, but they are the biggest Czech stars of the current Premier League, they are making a huge name for Czech football and deserve at least a small mention.

Tomas Soucek

PL tenure:: 2019-present
Club:: West Ham

When Soucek transferred to the Hammers in 2019, it was a step into the unknown. A lot of pundits doubted whether he had what it takes to make the Premier League. However, the Czech midfielder promptly disabused them of their mistake. He adapted to the tough competition very quickly and was soon one of the stable members of the starting line-up. Last season he helped the team to a great 6th place finish, deservedly receiving the award for the best player of the season.

He has several strengths. He’s strong on the ball, great at taking balls away. His biggest weapon is his aerial game. He’s unrivalled in header duels. He’s hugely valuable to West Ham in both defensive and attacking standard situations. And he’s been very productive. He’s scored 14 goals in 57 games. Currently the best Czech player in the Premier League. If he maintains his high performance, he can attack the Top 6 again with West Ham.

Vladimír Coufal

PL tenure:: 2020-present
Club:: West Ham

The former Slavie player earned his engagement at West Ham thanks to the promise of Tomáš Souček, who lobbied for him. Coufal immediately confirmed that the London club had hit the jackpot. Coufal acclimatised to the Premier League extremely quickly, as if he had been there for several years. He had the advantage of weaker competition at his position, so the path to the starting line-up was clear.

The Czech player was very confident defensively and could cope with even the biggest stars of the Premier League. His added value was his support in attack. It was also thanks to his centres that West Ham were so dangerous in the air. Coufal confirmed this in the language of numbers, as he scored a total of 7 goal assists last season. Both Coufal and Soucek are among West Ham’s key players. Hopefully, Alex King will soon have a similar importance at the club.

Source: Transfermarkt