On This Day – 4th October
Today is Tomas Rosicky’s 40th birthday. The Czech winger played for Sparta Prague, Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal before going full circle and seeing out the last of his playing career back at Sparta!
Rosicky appeared in four European Championships and a World Cup for the Czech Republic, winning 105 caps and scoring 23 international goals. He is the fourth highest goalscorer for his country behind Jan Kollen, Milan Baros and Vladimir Smicer.
Only Petr Cech (122) and Karel Poborsky (118) have more caps for the Czech national side.
His career began at Sparta Prague, winning the Czech Premier Division in his first two seasons at the club before joining German side Borussia Dortmund in January 2001.
Rosicky cost Dortmund around £8 million and was the highest transfer fee in Bundesliga history.
In his first full season at Dortmund, Rosicky won the Bundesliga title and the club also reached the UEFA Cup Final, but lost 3-2 to Dutch side Feyenoord.
The 2001/02 was as it good for Rosicky in his time at Dortmund and he joined Arsenal in May 2006, weeks after they left their Highbury home for the new Emirates Stadium.
Rosicky played regularly in the Arsenal first team up until a severe injury in January 2008 ruled him out of first team action until September of the following year.
The injury to his hamstring tendon that ruled Rosicky out for the best part of two years was not the only injury that he suffered.
Despite all the injuries, Arsene Wenger stuck by the Czech international and rewarded him with three further contracts until he left the club in 2016.
His most memorable goals came in three North London Derbies against Tottenham Hotspur. The first was Arsenal’s third in their 5-2 victory in February 2012 and the second coming after running half the length of the field to score in a 2-0 win in the FA Cup Third Round in January 2014.
The third goal against Arsenal’s old enemy was a rasping first-time shot into the far corner of the net with only 72 seconds on the clock on 16th March 2014. It was the only goal of the game and all three are remembered fondly by Arsenal fans.
Rosicky was part of the side that won the FA Cup in 2013/14, coming on as a substitute in the 3-2 victory over Hull City in the Final. This was to be the only piece of major silverware that Rosicky would win in his time at Arsenal.
After ten years at Arsenal, Rosicky returned to Sparta Prague in his native Czech Republic. A year later he announced his retirement from the game in December 2017 at the age of 37.
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