More than 27 years after they last watched him pull on the Claret and Blue shirt, West Ham United fans still sing the name of Ludek Mikloško every single week, such is the regard and affection in which the legendary Czech goalkeeper is held in east London.
An unknown signing from Banik Ostrava in February 1990, after the fall of communism had opened up the pathway for players to move from eastern Europe to the elite leagues, Ludek became a trailblazer – the first footballer to move from the Czech Republic to England.
He went on to establish himself as that rare phenomenon in football – a cult hero with genuine longevity and legendary status at Upton Park, thanks to almost 400 senior appearances across an eight-year career.
Affectionately christened ‘Ludo’ by Hammers fans, he helped West Ham United to promotion in 1991 and 1993, was named the Hammer of the Year in 1991, and appeared in the FA Cup and League Cup semi-finals for the Irons.
He became renowned for producing stunning individual displays in front of the Boleyn Ground faithful – none more so than on the final day of the 1994/95 season, when he single-handedly kept out the attacking might of Manchester United to deny them the Premier League title.
A return to Upton Park for a lengthy spell in the management team as goalkeeping coach would follow for Ludek after his retirement, with his legacy as one of the Club’s most beloved servants standing strong almost 35 years on from his debut.
Now living back in his homeland, he holds the role of Sporting Director at Banik Ostrava – the club at which he began his career and made more than 200 senior appearances for before moving to England.
Whenever possible, Ludek has travelled over to London on regular occasions in recent years to keep a close eye on his former club, and he was at the Eden Arena in Prague in the summer of 2023 to watch the Hammers lift the Europa Conference League trophy.
However, when he walks down the tunnel at London Stadium this afternoon ahead of the visit of Premier League leaders Liverpool, the moment may just carry an extra sense of poignancy and emotion for the 63-year-old.
For Ludek has shared the heart-wrenching news that, for the past three years, he has been fighting a courageous battle against cancer, and has now taken the decision to withdraw from further treatment in order to enjoy the best quality of life for as long as possible.
As he prepares to catch up with old friends and see some familiar faces at today’s match, Ludek has chosen to make the wider West Ham family aware of his situation and to emphasise the point that he is continuing to be positive and to fight, as he always has done, in order to give his very best for the game that has been his life.
“At the moment, I am feeling well,” he says. “Lots of friends have said to me that, if they didn’t know what I was going through, they would think that I was fine, which is nice for me to hear, because I want to feel like that for as long as possible.
“I am still working, I can be with the players and the people, and my life at the moment is very busy. I am trying to keep it that way – I want to be busy and be active, and be around football as much as I can, because that is what I love.”
Picking up the story of how and when his battle first began, Ludek says: “It started around three years ago now, with a small lump on my hip. I got it checked and the doctors found cancer, so I had an operation to have it removed. Everything was fine and for three months I just had some regular appointments to keep an eye on it, but they only checked my hip.
“They didn’t check other areas, and that was the problem, because it turned out there was another tumour in the stomach, which was growing. I had started to suffer some pain and some problems while on holiday last year and had to be rushed to hospital from the airport as soon as I landed back in the Czech Republic.
“The following day they did some tests and discovered that I had a big tumour in my stomach, too big to operate on and also in an area that was too dangerous. I had some radiotherapy, which helped to make it a bit smaller, and we spoke to specialists all around the world about what other options there might be.
“I had an exploratory operation to see if there might be a chance to remove the tumour, but it was impossible and I would not have survived the surgery. After that, it was just a case of trying to control it and seeing if it would grow, or if any other areas were affected.
“After three months it was looking okay, and maybe even looking slightly smaller, but then another three months on they found several new tumours. At that point, it became clear that the only further course of treatment would be a chemotherapy.
“I was thinking about this, and had another conversation with the doctor in Ostrava, and it was made clear to me that there could be no guarantees that it would work. Maybe it would help to slow it down a little bit, but it would not stop it and there would be other issues to deal with.
“I decided not to take the chemotherapy, because I want to live a normal life. I have very good people around me, and I have my work and my football, which is my life, all I have known. I want to keep doing that for as long as I can.”
It is clear that telling his story is a difficult and painful step for Ludek. A quiet and private man, never one to seek the limelight or boast about his many achievements or the esteem in which he is held. Loved by his former team-mates, some of whom will be at London Stadium today to greet him, the softly-spoken Czech is simply looking forward to being in the presence of what he describes as ‘my second family’ on Sunday afternoon.
“I have great support, from my family, from the people I work with, from my friends in football,” he says. “It is so important to me that I continue to be around that environment and keep it in my life.
“When they told me about what the chemotherapy would mean, it was a case of not being able to work or be around my colleagues for around six months, not travel, have some sickness and everything else, and I said no – I do not want that. There is no point.
“I want to live my life. That is why I am so happy to be coming to London and to watch the team on Sunday. I have spoken to some of my former team-mates and I am looking forward to seeing them again. It will be very special to me.
“And, of course, the supporters. After all these years, they still remember me, still sing my name, and that is a great feeling.
“I have two football clubs in my heart, Banik Ostrava and West Ham United, and in a funny way they are very similar. Even the mentality of the fans, very similar. Hard-working people, loyal and passionate. If I am ever doing an interview here in the Czech Republic, I am always saying this and making this comparison.
“West Ham United is my second family. And I really am looking forward to seeing everyone on Sunday.”
The entire West Ham United family is with Ludek at this time, and we encourage everyone attending today’s game to be in their seats ten minutes before kick-off to give him the reception and love that he so greatly deserves.
