Tottenham Goalkeeper Kinsky Honors Late Mentor Miklosko

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky has paid tribute to the late Ludek Miklosko, the former West Ham United star and Kinsky's former agent and mentor, who passed away at the age of 64.

Miklosko, who died earlier this month after a battle with cancer, had a profound impact on Kinsky's development from a young age. "He was one of those people who I really respected and admired," said Kinsky, 23. "For what he achieved in football and especially in life. He was an honest, kind and respectful person."

Kinsky recounted how Miklosko, who transitioned from agent to sporting director at Banik Ostrava, guided him through crucial career decisions, particularly when Kinsky, around 14 or 15 years old, received offers from major European clubs. "Eventually I didn’t because I believed I had a bigger chance to get to the highest level if I get to professional football firstly in the Czech Republic," Kinsky explained.

Miklosko also organized summer goalkeeper camps in the Czech Republic, bringing in coaches from Premier League and other European clubs. "This was a great thing for us young kids who were dreaming about getting to European football, to see what the training there look like. He did so much for everyone," Kinsky added.

Kinsky's father, Antonin Kinsky Sr., is a former goalkeeper who played in the Czech and Russian leagues and earned international caps. His career overlapped with Miklosko's.

Miklosko joined West Ham in 1990 and remained in London until the end of his playing career, which concluded with three years at Queens Park Rangers. Though he retired before Kinsky Jr. was born in 2003, Miklosko remained an influential figure in Czech football and an inspiration to subsequent generations of goalkeepers, including Pavel Srnicek and Petr Cech. Kinsky noted, "All those are great keepers. It’s why they were able to get to Premier league and make an impact. Petr Cech also gave me huge motivation and inspiration."

Kinsky and his Czechia national teammates, Lukas Hornicek (Newcastle) and Matej Hovar (PSV Eindhoven), represent a generation of Czech goalkeepers with strong ties to English football. Hovar, for instance, spent five years at Manchester United from the age of 18 and had loan spells at Swindon and Burton Albion.