Jan Laštůvka

1.1. Birth and early years

Jan Laštůvka was born on 7 July 1982, in Havířov, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic).

1.2. Early career

Laštůvka commenced his professional football career at Czech side FC Karviná. In the summer of 2000, he transferred to FC Baník Ostrava, signing a four-year contract. His talent was recognized early, as he received the 'Talent of the Year' award in 2003 at the Czech Footballer of the Year awards. During the 2003-04 season, he played a pivotal role in helping Baník Ostrava secure the Czech First League championship.

2.1. Baník Ostrava

During his initial tenure with FC Baník Ostrava, Laštůvka was instrumental in the team's success. He contributed significantly to their 2003-04 Czech First League title win, marking a significant achievement in his early professional career.

2.2. Shakhtar Donetsk

Following his success in the Czech Republic, Laštůvka moved to the Ukrainian top club FC Shakhtar Donetsk. During his time with Shakhtar, he gained experience in major European competitions, participating in several matches in both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup. Due to Ukrainian Premier League regulations requiring a minimum of four domestic players on the field at all times, Shakhtar Donetsk often loaned out their foreign players, including Laštůvka, to ensure compliance.

2.3. Fulham

On 31 August 2006, Laštůvka joined English club Fulham on a loan deal, just before the close of the transfer window. He made his Premier League debut for Fulham on 2 December 2006, in a 2-0 loss against Blackburn Rovers. A notable appearance occurred on 1 January 2007, when he came on as a second-half substitute for the injured Antti Niemi against Watford. Throughout this match, Fulham fans reportedly cheered his every kick or save, expressing their anxiety that he might make a mistake that could cost the team the game. The match ultimately ended in a 0-0 draw. He concluded his loan spell and returned to his parent club, Shakhtar Donetsk, in May 2007.

2.4. VfL Bochum

In June 2007, Shakhtar Donetsk loaned Laštůvka to German side VfL Bochum for the entire 2007-08 season. He was brought in as a replacement for his compatriot Jaroslav Drobný, who had departed Bochum for Hertha BSC Berlin. Laštůvka began the season as the first-choice goalkeeper, but a series of errors led to his position being challenged by reserve keepers. After sustaining an injury, the third-choice keeper René Renno took over his spot. However, Renno also made several mistakes before the winter break, prompting coach Marcel Koller to announce that all three goalkeepers-Laštůvka, Renno, and Philipp Heerwagen-would start on equal footing in preparations for the second half of the season.

Following the winter break, Laštůvka successfully regained his position as first-choice goalkeeper. He delivered a strong performance in a match against Werder Bremen, which earned him a nomination in the "Team of the Day" by kicker, Germany's leading football magazine. At the end of the season, Bochum expressed interest in signing him permanently, but the requested transfer fee of 4.00 M EUR proved too high. Consequently, Bochum opted to sign Portuguese goalkeeper Daniel Fernandes from PAOK F.C. instead.

2.5. West Ham United

On 3 August 2008, Laštůvka signed a one-year loan deal with West Ham United. He made his debut for the club on 23 September in a Football League Cup third-round match, which resulted in an away defeat against Watford. His time at West Ham was limited, as he made only one appearance before returning to Shakhtar Donetsk on 26 May 2009.

2.6. Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk

On 4 August 2009, Laštůvka secured a three-year contract with Ukrainian team FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk for a transfer fee of 3.00 M EUR. He remained with Dnipro for a significant period, playing for seven seasons. During his tenure, he was a key player, contributing to the team's achievements, including reaching the UEFA Europa League final in the 2014-15 season. He departed Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the summer of 2016.

2.7. MFK Karviná

After his extensive period in Ukraine, Laštůvka returned to Czech football. In 2016, he rejoined the newly promoted MFK Karviná as a free agent, signing a one-year contract with the club in the Czech First League.

2.8. Slavia Prague

Following his year with MFK Karviná, Laštůvka transferred to SK Slavia Prague on a free transfer. He was brought in to replace Jiří Pavlenka, who had moved to the Bundesliga. However, his stint with Slavia Prague was brief, lasting only half a year.

2.9. Baník Ostrava

After a short period at Slavia Prague, Laštůvka made his final return to his former club, FC Baník Ostrava. He concluded his professional playing career with Baník Ostrava.

3.1. Czech Republic national football team

Laštůvka received his first call-up to the Czech Republic national football team in May 2010. He made his full international debut on 3 September 2011, in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Scotland at Hampden Park, which ended in a 2-2 draw. He was subsequently included in the Czech squad for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament. Although the team reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Portugal, Laštůvka did not feature in any matches, as Petr Čech played every game in goal.

4.1. Club

4.2. Individual

• Talent of the Year: 2003