| Luděk Mikloško | |
| Birth Date: | 9 December 1961 |
| Birth Place: | Prostějov, Czechoslovakia |
| Height: | 1.91 m |
| Position: | Goalkeeper |
| Youthyears1: | 1969–1975 |
| Youthyears2: | 1975–1976 |
| Youthyears3: | 1976–1980 |
| Youthclubs1: | Němčice nad Hanou |
| Youthclubs2: | Železárny Prostějov |
| Youthclubs3: | Baník Ostrava |
| Years1: | 1980–1982 |
| Years2: | 1982–1990 |
| Years3: | 1990–1998 |
| Years4: | 1998 |
| Years5: | 1998–2001 |
| Clubs1: | RH Cheb |
| Clubs2: | Baník Ostrava |
| Clubs3: | West Ham United |
| Clubs4: | → Queens Park Rangers (loan) |
| Clubs5: | Queens Park Rangers |
| Caps1: | 23 |
| Caps2: | 211 |
| Caps3: | 318 |
| Caps4: | 12 |
| Caps5: | 45 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Totalcaps: | 606 |
| Totalgoals: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 1982–1992 |
| Nationalyears2: | 1996–1997 |
| Nationalteam1: | Czechoslovakia |
| Nationalteam2: | Czech Republic |
| Nationalcaps1: | 40 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
Luděk Mikloško (born 9 December 1961) is a Czech football coach and former professional footballer.
As a player, he was a goalkeeper who notably played in the Premier League for West Ham United, where he played over 300 games. He also played in the Football League for Queens Park Rangers and in his native country for RH Cheb and Baník Ostrava. He was capped 40 times by Czechoslovakia and was part of the team that competed at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He was later capped twice by the Czech Republic.
Following retirement, Mikloško returned to West Ham and worked as the club's goalkeeping coach before leaving in 2010. He has since moved back to the Czech Republic and works for a sporting investment agency.
Born in Prostějov, Mikloško started with football at home in Němčice nad Hanou. At the age of 13, he was scouted to be a goalkeeper for the youth league in his hometown.[1]
Mikloško began his career with RH Cheb before joining reigning Czech champions Baník Ostrava in 1982.[2] He transferred to West Ham United under Lou Macari in February 1990 before Billy Bonds was appointed Macari's successor, for a fee of less than £300,000.[3] Mikloško made his league debut the same year on 18 February in a 2–2 away draw against Swindon Town.[4]
His fourth match was the second leg of the League Cup against Oldham Athletic. West Ham had lost the first leg 6–0, with Phil Parkes scoring a goal in Mikloško's last match for West Ham after an eleven-year association with the club.[5] [6] From this point until the 1997-98 season, Mikloško was the first-choice goalkeeper.
Mikloško played 56 matches for West Ham in the 1990-91, including every league match, as they were promoted as runners-up from the Second Division. The club made the semi-finals of the FA Cup, before losing to Nottingham Forest, with him playing in all of their seven cup games.[7] [8] He was named Hammer of the Year in 1991. and Man of the Match performance against Manchester United on the last day of the 1994–95 season the latter of where West Ham drew 1–1 with Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground to help secure Manchester United's rivals, Blackburn Rovers, their first league title in over 80 years.[9] In his final season, Mikloško competed with Craig Forrest for the goalkeeper's position.[3] His last game came on 6 December 1997 in a 2–0 away defeat against Derby County, scoring an own goal in the game.[10] The following match, he was replaced in goal by Forrest.[11]
Mikloško signed for Queens Park Rangers in 1998 for a nominal fee after a three-month loan spell.[12] His last professional match occurred on 3 March 2001.[13] Under new coach Ian Holloway's first game in charge, QPR lost 3–1 at home to Sheffield United.[14]
Mikloško received 40 appearances for Czechoslovakia and two for the Czech Republic.[15] He debuted in 1–3 friendly victory against Denmark on 27 October 1982.[1]
After retirement, Mikloško returned to West Ham to take up a goalkeeping coaching role, but left the club in March 2010.[16] He later returned to the Czech Republic and works for a sporting investment agency.[17]
Individual
1990–91 Second Division,[19] 1992–93 First Division[20]