Slavia strengthens with national team goalkeeper Jindřich Staněk
"Jindra has long been among the best Czech goalkeepers, as confirmed by his performances in the national team. We want to be prepared for the title race and not underestimate anything. Thatīs why weīre strengthening the goalkeeping position as well. We wish Jindra the best of luck," says Slaviaīs sports director, Jiří Bílek.
"My first impressions are only positive. Iīm really looking forward to this challenge. Competition is always a good, healthy thing. Iīm ready for it. I want to help Slavia secure the championship title. Thatīs why Iīm here," says Jindřich Staněk, excited about the challenge at Slavia.
Just like in his previous engagement, Jindřich Staněk will wear jersey number 36.
Born in Strakonice, he began his football journey in České Budějovice, then went through Spartaīs youth academy. At seventeen, Everton from England noticed him; he played for their junior team in the prestigious Premier League club and even made it to the first teamīs bench in February 2016. He spent a month on loan at Hyde United and returned to then second-tier České Budějovice in September 2016.
After returning to southern Bohemia, he first went on loan to the third-tier club Třebíč. Starting from the 2017/18 season, he regularly played for Dynamo and a year later, with ten clean sheets in eighteen matches, helped Budějovice clinch the top spot and return to the highest league. After the autumn part of the highest league, he moved to Viktoria Plzeň in January 2020.
At Viktoria, he started as the third choice but got his chance towards the end of the season when he kept a clean sheet against Baník Ostrava. He began the 2020/21 season on the bench but seized the opportunity in the 14th round against Slavia, featuring between the posts just twice in the spring of 2021. From the new season onwards, he became a central figure in Viktoriaīs journey towards the championship title, keeping fourteen clean sheets in twenty-eight games.
His outstanding performances from the end of the golden season continued in the summer Champions League qualification, conceding only four times in six matches, thus aiding Plzeňīs advancement into the group stage of the prestigious tournament. In total, over four years in Plzeň, he kept 43 clean sheets in 123 matches.
Jindřich Staněk also regularly represents the national team, having passed through all youth categories. On September 5, 2021, following Tomáš Vaclíkīs injury, he debuted for the national team against Belgium. Since then, he has played a total of eight matches, including the last EURO qualification games against Poland and Moldova.
