Radek Černý

Football player infobox
playername = Radek Černý


fullname = Radek Černý
height = height|ft=6|in=3
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1976|2|18
cityofbirth = Prague
countryofbirth = Czechoslovakia
currentclub = Queens Park Rangers
clubnumber = 24
position = Goalkeeper
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1993–2008
2005–2008
2008–
clubs = Slavia Prague
→ Tottenham Hotspur (loan)
Queens Park Rangers
caps(goals) = 178 (0)
016 (0)
0010 (0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam = Czech Republic
nationalcaps(goals) = 003 (0)
pcupdate = 1 October 2008
ntupdate = 13:00, 4 October 2008 (UTC)

Radek Černý (born February 18, 1976 in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech footballer who currently plays for Queens Park Rangers as a goalkeeper.

Slavia Prague

Radek Černý turned professional in 1993 as a 17-year-old with Slavia Prague, his home team. His father was a goalkeeper, who started out as a youth at Slavia before playing in the Czech third and fourth divisions, while Cerny's older brother Petr was another goalkeeper playing for the club.

Černý did not get a chance to play for Slavia in the early years of his career, having been loaned out to three different Czech clubs and not returning until 1997, when he finally made his debut. Petr Černý was later signed as a deputy to his younger brother.

Černý made more than 150 appearances for Slavia, many of them in European competition. He was twice a domestic cup winner and followed 11 caps for the Czech under-21s with three for the full international team.

Tottenham Hotspur

Černý joined Spurs on an 18-month loan loan in January 2005cite news
title = Keeper Cerny set for Spurs switch
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/tottenham_hotspur/4209561.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 26 January 2005
accessdate = 2007-08-15] which was extended until the end of 2008cite news
title = Tottenham extend Cerny loan deal
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/tottenham_hotspur/4852474.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 28 March 2006
accessdate = 2007-08-15] to replace Kasey Keller who, finding himself unable to win back the Spurs number one jersey from Paul Robinson, had signed for Borussia Mönchengladbach. Spurs had also signed Marton Fulop, a young Hungarian goalkeeper, in the previous summer, but it was Černý who was called to deputise for Robinson for the last three games of the 2004/05 season. He made his debut at White Hart Lane against Aston Villa. Spurs won 5-1 but were unable to win a UEFA Cup spot that season.

Černý played in the Peace Cup pre-season tournament in South Korea, which Spurs won, but once Robinson returned, Černý was back on the bench again. Černý did not make an appearance in the 2005/06 season as Spurs finished fifth.

The 2006/07 season was more of the same for Černý, as Robinson, now the established number one for club and country, was initially playing in all of Spurs' matches, despite them playing in four competitions. Fulop had left to join Sunderland and Robert Burch, a former youth team player, was being loaned out without starting for any of the clubs who employed him. Robinson was injured in March 2007 for the FA Cup quarter-final at Chelsea where Černý made his first competitive appearance for nearly two years in a memorable match that ended 3-3. Robinson returned for the replay, which Spurs lost 2-1. Černý was on the bench for the rest of the season as Spurs finished fifth again.

The 2007/08 season began badly for Spurs, with Martin Jol leaving in November 2007 and Robinson under pressure after making a number of goalkeeping errors. New manager Juande Ramos eventually lost patience with Robinson's loss of form and for the first time in his Tottenham Hotspur career, Černý displaced Robinson, being preferred for the Carling Cup semi-final first-leg at Arsenal. However, Robinson again replaced Černý after a Černý goalkeeping error in the UEFA Cup against his former team threatened Tottenham's chances of winning in the round.

Queens Park Rangers

On 4 May 2008, Černý told Sky Sports News that he would be joining QPR of the Championship because of the lack of first team action at Spurs. [cite news|url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_3520548,00.html|title=Cerny close to QPR switch|publisher=Sky Sports|date=2008-05-04|accessdate=2008-05-13] The transfer was confirmed on 13 May. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/q/qpr/7398350.stm|title=QPR seal Ramage and Cerny deals|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2008-05-13|accessdate=2008-05-13] He made his QPR in the debut 2-1 victory over Barnsley at Loftus Road.

Trivia

His nickname amongst team-mates is Rodney, due to his love of Only Fools and Horses that developed after his move to England.Fact|date=January 2008

Notes

External links

*soccerbase|id=19331|name=Radek Černý