 Skácel playing for Hearts in 2011 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rudolf Skácel | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1979-07-17)17 July 1979 (age 45) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Trutnov,Czechoslovakia | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1992 | FK Trutnov | ||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1999 | Hradec Králové | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 1999–2002 | Hradec Králové | 37 | (8) | ||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Slavia Prague | 57 | (13) | ||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Marseille | 20 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | →Panathinaikos (loan) | 16 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | →Heart of Midlothian (loan) | 35 | (16) | ||||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Southampton | 83 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| 2008 | →Hertha BSC (loan) | 16 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Slavia Prague | 5 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Larissa | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Heart of Midlothian | 58 | (25) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Dundee United | 14 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Slavia Prague | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Mladá Boleslav | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Raith Rovers | 24 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | 1. FK Příbram | 43 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 422 | (80) | |||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Czech Republic U21 | 9 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2003–2010 | Czech Republic | 7 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Rudolf Skácel (Czech:[ˈskaːtsɛl]; born 17 July 1979) is a retired professionalfootballer who played as amidfielder.[1] He was capped at international level by theCzech Republic. He was generally deployed as a left sidedmidfield player but proved himself to be versatile, having also played as a centralattacking midfielder and aleft back at Southampton.
Skácel began his career withFC Hradec Králové before joiningGambrinus liga sideSlavia Prague, where he caught the attention ofFrench giantsOlympique de Marseille. However, he struggled to establish himself in the first-team during his time withL'OM and was loaned out toPanathinaikos andHeart of Midlothian. The latter loan spell saw him establish himself as a fan favourite, culminating in him scoring in the2006 Scottish Cup Final as theJambos emerged victorious. He then went on toSouthampton where he spent three years, including a six-month loan spell withHertha BSC. before being released. A brief return toSlavia Prague and a short spell withLarissa followed, before he returned to Hearts. His second spell at the Edinburgh club proved to be just as successful as he ended both seasons as the club's top scorer and scored two goals in the2012 Scottish Cup Final againstHearts' biggest rivalsHibernian en route to another cup victory.
He received infrequent call-ups to theCzech Republic national team, amassing seven caps over a period of seven years.
Skácel was born inTrutnov and began his career with Czech clubFC Hradec Králové, making his senior debut in 1999 and helping his team to gain promotion back to the Czech top flight. In February 2002 he was signed bySlavia Prague, for a fee of 14 millionCzech koruna.[2] In May 2002 he won theCzech Cup with Slavia, beating their fierce rivalsSparta Prague in the final. He also won gold with theCzech Republic in theEuropean Under-21 Football Championship.
HisUEFA Cup andCzech league performances in the 2002–03 season were noticed byFrench clubOlympique de Marseille managerAlain Perrin.
In August 2003 Marseille concluded a deal[3] to sign Skácel for a fee of 2.5 million Euros. He made his debut on 13 September 2003, playing the entire match in a 5–0 victory overLe Mans atStade Vélodrome.[4] His first and only goal forL'OM came in a 3–1 home victory overBastia on 5 October 2003.[5]
After his first season at Marseille, Skácel found himself out of favour afterAlain Perrin was sacked. This led to Skácel being loaned out to Greek clubPanathinaikos with an option of a permanent deal. He scored twice on his debut in a 3–2 cup victory overAtsalenios. Skácel played in theUEFA Champions League for the first time in his career for Panathinaikos, playing in five of the six group and scoring in a 2–2 away draw withRosenborg as the Greek club finished third in Group E to earn the consolation of a place in theUEFA Cup. During his time with Panathinaikos he scored five goals in all competitions.
AfterPanathinaikos did not take up their option to buy Skácel,Heart of Midlothian managerGeorge Burley stepped in with an offer to take him on a season's loan from Marseille. In July 2005, the deal was concluded to take Skácel to Hearts on loan with the option of a permanent deal.[6]
At the start of the 2005–06 season, Hearts won the first seven league games with Skácel scoring in each of them to set aScottish Premier League record. Skácel's home debut was a 4–0 victory overHearts' city rivalsHibernian atTynecastle in which he opened the scoring.[7] This was to be a common sight for the Hearts fans as Skácel went on to score 16 goals over the season and also scored the Hearts goal in theScottish Cup final victory over Gretna.[8] He was shortlisted for theScottish PFA Players' Player award, but lost out toCeltic wingerShaun Maloney.[9]
Despite announcing that the club had signed Skácel on a permanent deal,[10] Skácel's celebration and post match comments after the Cup Final suggested that he had played his last game for the club.[11] On 3 July 2006, it was revealed that Skácel andAndy Webster had failed to join up with the squad for pre-season training prompting rumours of Skácel's departure.
Opposition fans point to accusations ofdiving[12] and that he spat atCeltic captainNeil Lennon;[13] although these accusations were reported to theScottish Football Association they were not pursued.
On 29 July 2006, Skácel joinedSouthampton for £1.6 million[14] and linked up again with former Hearts managerGeorge Burley. Although Skácel plays in midfield he found himself playing the majority of games at left back after the departure ofGareth Bale toTottenham Hotspur in May 2007. He scored from 25 yards in the 3–2 victory ofWest Bromwich Albion on 6 October 2007.
On 31 January 2008, Skácel moved toHertha BSC on loan until the end of the season. Skácel had requested the move to boost his chances of representing his country on the international scene. Southampton acting chief executive Lee Hoos was quoted as saying: "The Czech national manager views the Championship very much as a second tier league – even though it is the fifth most popular in Europe. Skácel felt he would not get a look in unless he was playing in a top division".[15] Skácel succeeded in making theUEFA Euro 2008 squad, due to injury toDaniel Pudil, but was an unused substitute in all three of their games as the Czechs crashed out at the group stages.
Skácel returned to Southampton for the start of the2008–09 season. He was released from his contract on 2 May 2009, after Southampton were relegated to League One.
Skácel returned to former clubSlavia Prague in October 2009, six years after leaving to joinMarseille.[16] He made his first appearance since returning in a 2–1 league defeat toSigma Olomouc at theSynot Tip Arena.[17] He made his fifth and final league appearance of his second spell with the club on 29 November 2009, scoring a hat-trick againstFC Brno in a 3–1 victory.[18]
In January 2010, Skácel signed for Larissa on a free transfer until June 2010 with the option of a further year.[19]
On 16 September 2010, Skácel returned to Hearts on a one-year deal.[20] He marked his first start and home debut in his second spell at Hearts with a goal againstRangers.
On 23 October 2010, he bagged a hat-trick in Hearts' 3–0 win overSt Mirren.[21] Skácel continued his superb form with a 32nd-minute 30-yard volley againstHamilton Academical on 20 November 2010. Hearts went on to win the match 2–0.[22] On 11 December 2010 he played a key role as the Jambos' recorded their biggest win of the season, scoring twice in a 5–0 victory overAberdeen at Tynecastle.[23] On 19 March 2011 Skácel scored his 10th and 11th goals of the season in a dramatic 3–2 victory overSt Mirren; his 93rd-minute strike proving the winner. Skácel ended the2010–11 season as theJambos' top scorer with 13 goals.
Despite joining the Hearts squad for their pre-season preparations Skácel's involvement was severely limited due to injury. On 4 August, Hearts announced that Skácel had signed a new contract which would keep him atTynecastle until 31 January 2012.[24] On the same day, in his second appearance of the season and first since signing a new deal, Skácel came off the bench to score his first goal of the season in the second leg ofUEFA Europa League Third qualifying round againstPaks in a 4–1 victory which gotPaulo Sérgio off to winning start as manager.[25] Skácel's first six appearances of the season were as a substitute as he gradually regained fitness following a lack of pre-season action and his firstSPL start did not come until 2 October 2011, a match in which he opened the scoring as theJambos defeatedCeltic 2–0 at home.[26] He maintained his place in the starting line-up for the following game and scored again in a 2–0 win overDunfermline atEast End Park.[27] He entered the final month of his contract in January 2012 and started theNew Year in style as he scored the third goal as Hearts defeatedHibs 3–1 atEaster Road in theNew Year Edinburgh Derby on 2 January.[28] He continued his impressive start to 2012 with his second Hearts hat-trick against St. Mirren at Tynecastle on 14 January. FollowingMarius Žaliūkas'sending-off theJambos trailed 2–1 but Skácel's hat-trick inspired the ten men to an incredible 5–2 victory.[29] After the match Skácel, voiced his desire to extend his contract and spend the remainder of the season with Hearts.[30] On 31 January 2012, Hearts announced that he had signed a contract extension and would be staying on until the end of the season.[31] His 100th competitive appearance for Hearts came in a 2–0Edinburgh derby win on 18 April 2012. He continued his impressive goal scoring record against St. Mirren in theScottish Cup, scoring in the quarter-finals in a 2–2 draw at Tynecastle,[32] as well as in a 2–0 victory atSt Mirren Park in the resultant replay.[33] He also scored the opener in thesemi-final victory overCeltic atHampden as Hearts progressed to the final.[34] He scored the second and fifth goals and earned theman of the match award[35] as Hearts routed rivalsHibs 5–1 in a historicfinal, taking his goal tally in the competition to five in just seven games and 18 in all competitions for the season, his best return in his three seasons as a Hearts player. He said after the match that the final would probably be his last match for Hearts and that it was"the best way to say goodbye with the cup in my hands",[36] meaning that he would once again depart following a Scottish Cup triumph.
On 9 October 2012, Hearts announced that Skácel had returned to train with the club.[37] However, a permanent return was made impossible by a transfer embargo imposed on the club by the SPL due to recurring late payments of the wages of players and staff.[38]
Skacel joinedDundee United on 26 October 2012 contracted until 30 January 2013.[39] He instantly caused controversy by, as he had previously hinted on hisTwitter account, selecting the number 51 shirt at his new club in reference to Hearts' victory over rivals Hibernian in theScottish Cup Final. ManagerPeter Houston apologised to Hibs fans saying he was unaware of the significance of the number and would not have allowed Skácel to wear 51 had he known his reasons for selecting it.[40] Skácel made his debut a day after signing, as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 victory overSt Mirren atSt Mirren Park. He faced his former club, Hearts, four days later on 31 October in aScottish League Cup quarter-final atTannadice and received a warm reception from the travelling Hearts support when he appeared as a substitute inextra time as United were eventually defeated 5–4 onpenalties.[41] His first seven appearances for Dundee United were as a substitute, before making his first start on 27 November 2012 in a 2–1 home defeat toMotherwell in the league. This match also marked his 100th appearance in theScottish Premier League. He scored his first goal for theTerrors on 15 December 2012, in a thrilling 4–4 league draw withInverness Caledonian Thistle at Tannadice.[42] He made a total of 16 appearances for United, scoring once as he was utilized primarily as a second-half substitute with ten of his appearances coming from the bench.
On 25 January 2013, Dundee United confirmed that they would not be extending Skácel's contract beyond January.[43] Skacel left the club when his contract expired on 30 January.
On 6 March 2013,Slavia Prague announced that Skácel had returned for a third spell and signed a contract until the end of the season as the club battled against relegation.[44] He made the first appearance of his return on 16 March 2013 in a 3–1league win overSlovan Liberec atStadion Eden, receiving a warm reception from the home fans as he came on as a substitute in the 69th minute. He replacedcaptainKarol Kisel and was given the captain's armband for the remainder of the game.
He departed upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the season having made a total of five appearances.
In January 2014 Skácel was linked with a move toScottish Championship sideAlloa Athletic where former Hearts teammatePaul Hartley was manager.[45]However The Wasps tentative interest went no further and days later it was revealed Skácel was once again training with Hearts with a view to signing for the administration hit club should theSPFL allow for players made redundant in the summer to be replaced despite the club's transfer embargo.[46] Hearts cancelled the playing contract of goalkeeping coachAlan Combe, in keeping with the one-in, one-out policy of their transfer embargo, to make space for Skácel[47] only for the SPFL to reject the move stating that it was not viable to replace a 39-year-old goalkeeping coach/player who has never appeared in a match day squad with a midfielder.[48] Skácel expressed his bitter disappointment at the refusal and stated that the decision had left him without motivation and considering retirement.[49]
After a spell in his native Czech Republic, Skácel was linked with a return toScotland, afterRaith Rovers managerGary Locke expressed an interest in the formerCzech international.[50] On 21 July 2016, Skácel signed with theScottish Championship side.[51]
Following his release from Raith Rovers, Skacel returned to the Czech Republic and signed for1. FK Příbram in the Czech National Football League. In his first season with Příbram he helped the club achieve promotion to the Czech First League. In his final playing season, Skacel made 16 appearances and scored one goal as Příbram escaped relegation[52][53]
Skacel retired following Příbram's relegation playoff victory overFC Zbrojovka Brno on 2 June 2019.[54][55]
Skácel made hisCzech Republic under-21 debut againstBulgaria on 5 October 2001 inTeplice, scoring the third goal in an 8–0 victory.[56] He was part of theCzech Republic under-21squad at the2002 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship inSwitzerland, along with his futureHearts teammateMichal Pospíšil. Both players converted in a penalty shoot-out as the Czechs emerged victorious in thefinal againstFrance.
Skácel made hisCzech Republic national team debut on 12 November 2003 againstCanada. He once again got off to a scoring start as he replacedJan Koller after 73 minutes and scored eight minutes later in a 5–1 victory.[57] He was named in the Czech squad forEuro 2008 as a replacement for the injuredDaniel Pudil but did not leave the bench as the Czechs exited at the group stage. Skácel amassed seven caps for his country, scoring once.
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other[a] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Slavia Prague | 2001–02 | Gambrinus liga | 12 | 3 | 12 | 3 | ||||||
| 2002–03 | 30 | 8 | 30 | 8 | ||||||||
| 2003–04 | 15 | 2 | 15 | 2 | ||||||||
| Total | 57 | 13 | 57 | 13 | ||||||||
| Marseille | 2003–04 | Ligue 1 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Panathinaikos (loan) | 2004–05 | Alpha Ethniki | 16 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 26 | 5 | ||
| Heart of Midlothian (loan) | 2005–06 | Scottish Premier League | 35 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 17 | ||
| Southampton | 2006–07 | Football League Championship | 39 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 41 | 4 | ||
| 2007–08 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 1 | ||||
| 2008–09 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 83 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 6 | ||
| Hertha BSC (loan) | 2007–08 | Bundesliga | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | ||||
| Slavia Prague | 2009–10 | Gambrinus liga | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | ||
| Larissa | 2009–10 | Superleague Greece | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Heart of Midlothian | 2010–11 | Scottish Premier League | 29 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 13 | ||
| 2011–12 | 29 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 40 | 18 | ||
| Total | 58 | 25 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 69 | 31 | ||
| Dundee United | 2012–13 | Scottish Premier League | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| Slavia Prague | 2012–13 | Czech First League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 5 | 0 | |||
| Mladá Boleslav | 2015–16 | Czech First League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | |
| Raith Rovers | 2016–17 | Scottish Championship | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| 1. FK Příbram | 2017–18 | Czech National Football League | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 27 | 4 | |
| 2018–19 | Czech First League | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | |
| Total | 43 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 435 | 72 | 24 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 479 | 84 | ||
| National team | Club | Season | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | Marseille | 2003–04 | 1 | 1 |
| Hearts | 2005–06 | 2 | 0 | |
| Hertha BSC | 2007–08 | 2 | 0 | |
| Larissa | 2009–10 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 7 | 1 | ||
| International appearances and goals | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Goal | Competition |
| 2003–04 | ||||||
| 1. | 12 November 2003 | Na Stínadlech,Teplice, Czech Republic |  Canada | 5–1 | 1 | Friendly |
| 2005–06 | ||||||
| 2. | 17 August 2005 | Ullevi,Gothenburg, Sweden |  Sweden | 1–2 | 0 | Friendly |
| 3. | 7 September 2005 | Andrův stadion,Olomouc, Czech Republic |  Armenia | 4–1 | 0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2007–08 | ||||||
| 4. | 27 May 2008 | Stadion Eden,Prague, Czech Republic |  Lithuania | 2–0 | 0 | Friendly |
| 5. | 30 May 2008 | Letná Stadium,Prague, Czech Republic |  Scotland | 3–1 | 0 | Friendly |
| 2009–10 | ||||||
| 6. | 3 March 2010 | Hampden Park,Glasgow, Scotland | Scotland | 0–1 | 0 | Friendly |
| 7. | 22 May 2010 | Red Bull Arena,New Jersey, United States |  Turkey | 1–2 | 0 | Friendly |
Hradec Králové
Slavia Prague
Heart of Midlothian
Czech Republic Under-21
Individual
