.jpg) Hladký in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1990-11-14)14 November 1990 (age 35) | ||
| Place of birth | Brno, Czechoslovakia | ||
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Burnley | ||
| Number | 32 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–2003 | FC Sparta Brno | ||
| 2003–2004 | FK Šardice | ||
| 2004–2009 | Zbrojovka Brno | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2011 | Zbrojovka Brno B | 45 | (0) |
| 2009 | →Břeclav (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2010 | →Břeclav (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2011 | → FC Sparta Brno | 1 | (0) |
| 2011–2015 | Zbrojovka Brno | 42 | (0) |
| 2015–2019 | Slovan Liberec | 31 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | St Mirren | 47 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | Salford City | 46 | (0) |
| 2021–2024 | Ipswich Town | 59 | (0) |
| 2024– | Burnley | 1 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2005–2006 | Czech Republic U16 | 8 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | Czech Republic U17 | 7 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Czech Republic U18 | 7 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | Czech Republic U19 | 7 | (0) |
| 2011 | Czech Republic U20 | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:13, 18 August 2024 (UTC) | |||
Václav Hladký (born 14 November 1990) is a Czech professionalfootballer who plays as agoalkeeper forPremier League sideBurnley. He has previously played forZbrojovka Brno andSlovan Liberec in his homeland,St Mirren in Scotland,Salford City andIpswich Town in England. He has represented his country at youth level up to under-20.[2]
Having signed in 2012, he spent his first year as second choice goalkeeper behindRadek Petr, but was made first choice in 2013.[3] He made his début on the opening day of2013–14 season againstFK Jablonec, managing to keep a clean sheet.[4] During his time at the club, Brno goalkeeping coachLuboš Přibyl compared him to fellow Czech goalkeeperPetr Čech.[5] On 18 October 2014, he was sent off againstSparta Prague.[6] During the2014–15 season he was dropped from the team after a series of mistakes,[7] and by the end of the season declared he wanted to leave the club having fallen behindDušan Melichárek as the club's number one.[8]
After signing in 2015, Hladký was second choice goalkeeper for over two years, initially behindTomáš Koubek, signed on loan from Sparta Prague at the same time.[9] He was selected for four league games in the autumn and was praised for his performances, which including keeping a clean sheet against Sparta Prague, and againstFastav Zlín in theCzech Cup.[10]
He would remain backup, initially behindMartin Dúbravka, and then behindOndřej Kolář, before getting his opportunity in the spring of 2018.[9] He would be dropped the following season forFilip Nguyen, signed from second divisionVlašim.[11]
After falling back down the pecking order at Slovan Liberec,[12] Hladký signed forSt Mirren on an 18-month deal in January 2019.[13] He quickly became a fan favourite atSt Mirren Park, with goalkeeping coachJamie Langfield saying he could be the player to keep St Mirren in theScottish Premiership.[14] He made the BBC's Scottish Premiership team of the week following his performance in a 1–1 draw withHeart of Midlothian.[15]
On 26 May, St Mirren played out a 1–1 in theplay-off final againstDundee United, meaning the two teams would play a penalty shootout; Hladký saved three of the four penalties he faced as St Mirren won the shootout 2–0 and therefore staying in the Premiership.[16] Hladký dedicated the victory to his best friendJosef Šural, who died in a bus crash a month prior,[17] and credited Langfield, St Mirren managerOran Kearney and chief executiveTony Fitzpatrick for supporting him during the difficult moments.[18]
In the summer, St Mirren rejected a £200k offer fromQarabağ, with new managerJim Goodwin declaring him the best goalkeeper in the league.[19] In June 2020, Hladký left Saints when he rejected the offer of a new contract.[20]
In August 2020 he joinedEFL League Two sideSalford City on a two-year contract.[21] On his competitive début, anEFL Cupfirst round match againstRotherham United, he saved a penalty fromJoe Mattock to send Salford through 4–2 after ashoot-out.[22] In the delayed2020 EFL Trophy Final played on 13 March 2021, Hladky saved the decisive penalty fromRonan Curtis to help Salford win 4–2 on penalties, having drawn 0–0 in normal time againstPortsmouth.[23]
Hladky was awarded the League TwoGolden Glove award; he kept 22 clean sheets throughout the season, the most in the division,[24] and he was named in theLeague Two Team of the Year by theProfessional Footballers' Association as well as the EFL's League Two Team of the Season.[25] Hladky's performances also saw him voted Salford's player of the season by the clubs' supporters,[26] whileSky Sports named him in their team of the year for conceding 34 goals and saving 77.2% of shots faced, both league highs.[27]
After just one season with Salford, Hladky was signed byIpswich Town, signing a three-year contract.[28]
After a disappointing start Hladky was replaced as first choice byChristian Walton. He remained the back-up until an injury in to Walton during pre-season gave him his chance as first choice for the 2023–24 season. A string of impressive performance meant that he kept Walton out of the team when he returned from injury, going on to play in all 46 of Ipswich's league games as the club clinched promotion to the Premier League.
On 3 June 2024, Ipswich said it had offered Hladky a new contract, but on 1 July it was announced that he had left the club after three years.[29]
On 19 July 2024, it was announced that Hladcky has signed for Championship clubBurnley on a two-year contract.[30]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Zbrojovka Brno | 2012–13[31] | Czech First League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2013–14[31] | Czech First League | 25 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 29 | 0 | ||||
| 2014–15[31] | Czech First League | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 42 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 46 | 0 | |||||
| Slovan Liberec | 2015–16[31] | Czech First League | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2016–17[31] | Czech First League | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18[31] | Czech First League | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||||
| 2018–19[31] | Czech First League | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 31 | 0 | 9 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 | |||
| St Mirren | 2018–19[32] | Scottish Premiership | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[d] | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| 2019–20[33] | Scottish Premiership | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 0 | |||
| Total | 47 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 59 | 0 | |||
| Salford City | 2020–21[34] | League Two | 46 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 3[e][f] | 0 | 53 | 0 | |
| Ipswich Town | 2021–22[36] | League One | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[e] | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2022–23[37] | League One | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 4[e] | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24[38] | Championship | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 47 | 0 | |||
| Total | 59 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 71 | 0 | |||
| Burnley | 2024–25[39] | Championship | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26[40] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 226 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 275 | 0 | ||
Salford City
Ipswich Town
Individual
