Czech Republic international goalkeeper Tomáš Vaclík signs for Town
- Tomáš Vaclík joins Town permanently until end of 2022/23 season
- Goalkeeper signs from Olympiacos for undisclosed fee
- Comments from Leigh Bromby, Mark Fotheringham and Paul Clements
We are delighted to announce the signing of Czech Republic international goalkeeper Tomáš Vaclík from Greek champions Olympiacos for an undisclosed free.
Fast approaching 500 career appearances to his name at 33 years of age, the six foot three tall goalkeeper has also appeared over 50 times for Czech Republic, playing against England at EURO 2020 as the country’s first choice at the tournament.
His first time playing domestically in England, his career has seen him move from the Czech Republic to Switzerland, Spain and Greece, playing for major sides in each country such as Sparta Prague, Basel, Sevilla and Olympiacos.
Boasting an impressive honours list, Tomáš won the title with Sparta Prague before joining Basel, where he would go on to win the Swiss league on three occasions, also wining the Swiss Cup once. Moving on to Sevilla, he was part of their 2020 UEFA Europa League winning side, earning a runners-up medal in the UEFA Super Cup before picking up another league title with Olympiacos in the 2021/22 season.
Signing a contract until the end of the 2022/23 season, Vaclík will wear the number one shirt for Town.
Head of Football Operations Leigh Bromby commented:
“Following the injury to Lee Nicholls, it was imperative that we found an experienced goalkeeper to step in. Nicholas Bilokapic has done brilliantly in the interim, but it wouldn’t be right to put that much pressure on young shoulders given the situation we are currently in. Having played at the very highest levels of the game throughout his career, Tomáš fits the bill for what we need exceptionally well. He’s shown a real desire to be here with us and we’re very happy to have him.”
Head Coach Mark Fotheringham added:
“I’m delighted to have Tomáš here with us and I’m sure he’ll play a really important role between now and the end of the season. It was a real shame to see Lee Nicholls ruled out for the season, but the impact of that has been hugely limited by how well young Nicholas Bilokapic has stepped up, and he deserves huge credit for that. Tomáš has played regularly at the height of the game at both club and international level, so that’s more invaluable experience to bring into the group.”
Head of Goalkeeping Paul Clements noted:
“Losing a goalkeeper of Lee’s stature isn’t an easy thing to manage, but between how well Nick has played and introducing Tomáš to the Club, I think we’ve handled it about as well as possible. Nick deserves huge credit for his performances, but now isn’t the time for him to be stepping up consistently – however, he’s shown with time that he’s more than capable. Tomáš is a goalkeeper I’ve liked for a long time and I think he has all of the attributes needed to make a telling contribution straight away. With such a great experience in the game, he gives our crop of younger goalkeepers another role model to learn from, and I’m looking forward to working with him on the grass and getting him involved as soon as possible.”
Supporters can welcome our new number one to the Club on social media by following @Vaclos31 on Twitter, and @Vaclos31 on Instagram!
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