First team you supported as a boy?
Arsenal, because of [Czech Republic attacking midfielder] Tomáš Rosický. He came to Arsenal, and I really liked their style of play, and I believe they were the best football team on the ball. I also became a fan of [Cesc] Fàbregas, and he is someone I have followed all of my career. I supported Slavia Prague as well, obviously, because I was there since I was ten years old.
First game you watched live as a supporter?
It was my hometown team FC Slovan Havlíčkův Brod, as it was impossible for us to go to Prague because it was quite far away. Where we lived only had 40,000 people, and around 300 people watched that game, but it was a nice atmosphere.
First team you played for?
I played for my hometown team, FC Slovan Havlíčkův Brod, who are an amateur club, and then I went to Slavia Prague. I went on two loans for six months to Viktoria Žižkov and Slovan Liberec, but in terms of main clubs, I’ve only been at three.
First position you played in?
I actually started playing as a striker for my hometown team. When I came to Slavia [Prague], I played as a centre-back for two years and then became a centre midfielder.
First football hero?
It was Tomáš Rosický who was my first football hero, while internationally it was Fàbregas.
First kit?
I remember having a Luís Figo kit from Portugal. I don’t know why, but I remember having this shirt. We used to go to Turkey for our holidays, and my parents bought me this kit from the market.
First mentor in football?
My Dad was my first mentor because he was the coach when he got me into football at four or five years old, so he was my coach until I was ten. I still speak with him about football, and throughout my career until I was 20, he was my main mentor. He was a goalkeeper and played a few games for Havlíčkův Brod, but the rest he was in an even lower league and only played for fun. I went to watch him many times.
First professional game?
It was against Viktoria Plzeň when I was playing for Slavia Prague in the first round of the season in 2015. I was lucky because I remember that I clearly handled the ball inside our own box, but the referee didn’t give a penalty. It was a big moment in my career, as I knew it could change a lot of things. We still lost the game because Slavia were not the best team in the Czech Republic when I arrived there. I managed to stay in the squad for the rest of the season.
First professional goal?
I don’t remember my first goal, but I do remember my third or fourth goal when I scored a hat-trick at nearly 21 years old in my first season for the club. It was a great moment and a good memory. I also scored a hat-trick for the Czech Republic against Estonia. It was a perfect hat-trick, as I scored with my left foot, right foot, and my head.
First goal for West Ham United?
It was against Chelsea. We beat them 3-2. I scored a goal after ten minutes, but it was disallowed for a foul, and then I managed to finally score just before half-time to make it 1-1. I think this game saved us in the [Premier] League because it changed the whole course of our season.
