Luděk Mikloško Explained

Luděk Mikloško
Birth Date:9 December 1961
Birth Place:Prostějov, Czechoslovakia
Height:1.96 m[1]
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
Nationalyears1:1980–1982
Nationalyears2:1982–1992
Nationalyears3:1983–1994
Nationalyears4:1996–1997
Nationalteam1:Czechoslovakia U21
Nationalteam2:Czechoslovakia
Nationalteam3:Czechoslovakia Olympic
Nationalteam4:Czech Republic
Nationalcaps1:24
Nationalcaps2:40
Nationalcaps3:2
Nationalcaps4:2
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalgoals2:0
Nationalgoals3:0
Nationalgoals4:0

Luděk Mikloško (born 9 December 1961) is a Czech football coach and former professional footballer.

As a player, Mikloško was a goalkeeper who notably played in the Premier League for West Ham United, for whom 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 his 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.

Early life

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.[2]

Club career

Czechoslovakia

Mikloško began his career with RH Cheb before joining reigning Czech champions Baník Ostrava in 1982.[3] He left Czechoslovakia having made 234 appearances in the Czechoslovak First League.[4]

West Ham United

Mikloško 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.[5] Mikloško made his league debut on 18 February in a 2–2 away draw against Swindon Town.[6]

His fourth match was the second leg of the 1989–90 League Cup semi-final against Oldham Athletic. West Ham had lost the first leg 6–0, with Phil Parkes in goal in what proved to be his last game for West Ham after an eleven-year association with the club.[7] [8] 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 season, 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.[9] [10] 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.[11] Mikloško conceded once before being sent off in a December 1995 away match against Everton after a foul on opponent Daniel Amokachi. As West Ham had no goalkeepers available as substitutes, defender Julian Dicks took over between the posts, conceding twice in the second half as Everton ran out 3–0 winners.[12]

In his final season, Mikloško competed with Craig Forrest for the goalkeeper position.[5] His last game came on 6 December 1997 in a 2–0 away defeat against Derby County, scoring an own goal in the game.[13] The following match, he was replaced in goal by Forrest.[14]

Queens Park Rangers

Mikloško signed for Queens Park Rangers in 1998 for a nominal fee after a three-month loan spell.[15] His last professional match occurred on 3 March 2001.[16] Under new coach Ian Holloway's first game in charge, QPR lost 3–1 at home to Sheffield United.[17]

International career

From 1980 to 1982, Mikloško represented Czechoslovakia under-21 24 times,[4] being named best goalkeeper at the 1980 and 1982 editions of the Toulon Tournament.[18] He made his debut for Czechoslovakia in a 3–1 friendly victory against Denmark on 27 October 1982.[2] Between 1983 and 1984 he made two appearances for the Czechoslovakia Olympic team. Mikloško went to the 1990 FIFA World Cup with the Czechoslovakia squad, but did not play in the tournament.[4] His final match for the national team took place on 2 April 1997 in a 2–1 home loss against FR Yugoslavia.[2] In total Mikloško made 40 appearances for Czechoslovakia and two for the Czech Republic.[19]

Retirement and subsequent career

After his retirement, Mikloško returned to West Ham to take up a goalkeeping coaching role, but left the club in March 2010.[20] He later returned to the Czech Republic and works for a sporting investment agency.[21] As of 2024, he was also employed as sporting director at his former club Baník Ostrava.

Personal life

In December 2024, Mikloško announced his decision to withdraw from cancer treatment. In 2021 he had an operation to remove a lump on his hip but a further tumour grew in his stomach. Having had radiotherapy which helped, further tumours meant chemotherapy would be required which he declined.[22]

Honours

Individual

1990–91 Second Division,[23] 1992–93 First Division[24]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ludek Miklosko Goalkeeper, Profile & Stats . Premier League . 25 July 2022 . 9 December 2024.
  2. News: Jakub. Nohavica. První Čech, který se prosadil v Anglii, slaví. Legendární Mikloško má šedesát. Deník. Vltava Labe Media. 9 December 2021. 12 November 2024. cs.
  3. Web site: Matthew. Evans. Luděk Mikloško and the heroics that denied Manchester United the title in 1995. These Football Times. 28 November 2018. 12 November 2024.
  4. Book: Jeřábek, Luboš. Český a československý fotbal – lexikon osobností a klubů. Grada Publishing. cs. 2007. Prague, Czech Republic. 978-80-247-1656-5. 124-125.
  5. Web site: Ludo: 'we Must Be Mad!' . West Ham United F.C. . 12 November 2024 . 12 November 2024.
  6. News: Roshane. Thomas. Luděk Mikloško: "West Ham warned me about this young fan who actually changed his name to Mikloško". The New York Times. 24 March 2021. 12 November 2024.
  7. Web site: Game played 14 February 1990. WestHamStats.info. 10 December 2014.
  8. Web site: Phil Parkes. WestHamStats.info. 10 December 2014.
  9. Web site: Game played 14 April 1991. WestHamStats.info. 10 December 2014.
  10. Web site: 2nd Division 1990-91. WestHamStats.info. 10 December 2014.
  11. News: Jim. White. Flashback: The day a man called Ludo ruined Manchester United's game and dreams of the double. The Daily Telegraph. 21 March 2014. 10 December 2014.
  12. News: Guy. Hodgson. Everton revel in Miklosko's misery. The Independent. 12 December 1995. 30 December 2024.
  13. Web site: Derby County 2–0 West Ham United. WorldFootball. Heim: Spiel. 10 December 2014.
  14. Web site: Game played on 13 December 1997. WestHamStats.info. 10 December 2014.
  15. Web site: Incenzo . Tony . The Greatest Goalkeepers To Play For QPR . 888sport Blog . 4 July 2024 . 12 November 2024.
  16. Web site: Season 2000/2001 . Soccer Base . 9 December 1961 . 13 November 2024.
  17. Web site: QPR 1-3 Sheffield United. BBC Sport. BBC. 3 March 2001. 10 December 2014.
  18. Web site: Tournoi Espoirs de Toulon: Official Player Awards. RSSSF. 12 October 2022. 12 October 2022.
  19. Web site: Welcome to the Wonderful World of West Ham United Statistics Ludek Miklosko. Westhamstats.info. 10 May 2010.
  20. Web site: Miklosko leaves Hammers. West Ham United. 10 May 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100430133110/http://www.whufc.com/articles/20100317/miklosko-leaves-hammers_2236884_1997249 . 30 April 2010.
  21. Web site: Ludek Mikloško. Premier League Heroes. 20 June 2015. 25 June 2021.
  22. Web site: Ludek Miklosko: Former West Ham goalkeeper withdraws from cancer treatment . BBC Sport . 29 December 2024 . 29 December 2024.
  23. Book: Lynch . The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes . 148.
  24. Book: The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes. 149.