Tomas Soucek has backed his countryman Vladimir Coufal to be a huge success at West Ham United following his move from Slavia Prague.
The pair have already shared a pitch on 71 occasions - for Slavia, Slovan Liberec and the Czech national team - so Soucek is looking forward to resuming their partnership in east London.
Soucek made London Stadium his new home in January, and with Soufal joining him at the start of the 2020/21 season, he is sure the right-back will make a similarly successful transition.
“I have known Vladimir for a long time now and our careers have progressed together quite closely," Soucek explained.
"We first played together when I went on loan to Slovan Liberec in 2017, while I was recovering from an injury, and then the following year Vladimir left Liberec to join Slavia Prague.
“Of course, we have also played at the same time for the Czech national team, so West Ham is now the fourth team that we will play for together. Thankfully we are very good friends so I am really pleased to see Vladimir again!
“I think the West Ham fans will love Vladimir and he will feel connected to them. His style of play is very fast and intense and he will give 100% every single minute for this Club.”
Having adapted quickly to the Premier League himself, Soucek believes Coufal has all the attributes needed to do exactly the same.
He added: “I am looking forward to seeing him play for West Ham, because I think he has all of the qualities that are needed to play in the Premier League – he is very strong, plays with intensity and is very consistent. He also likes to run a lot, like me, because he is up and down on the right side, maybe 11-12km minimum every match. He is a very modern right-back.
“Vladimir is also a very good guy, with a nice character – I’m sure he will fit in very well in the changing room and everyone here will like him. It is good for him that I am here, so I can help him settle in to life here, but it is also good for me to have him here. It is nice for our wives, for our young children, as we know each other well.
“There are many good players at Slavia, but Vladimir has been one of the best in the last two years – I don’t remember him playing a bad game!"