Newcastle United's new goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek has made it clear he is 100 per cent focused on becoming the club's number one, hoping the improvements he made with the ball at his feet in Portugal will give him the edge over his competitors.
Hornicek sealed his £25.7million move from Braga earlier this week and immediately joined the Magpies' warm-weather training camp at La Manga in Spain, where he has made an impression on both team-mates and reporters.
Emphatic response
When asked if it was his intention to be Newcastle's first-choice goalkeeper, the 24-year-old's response was emphatic, even as he praised the welcome from fellow keepers Ewen Jaouen, Nick Pope, Mark Gillespie, and Aidan Harris.
"100 per cent," Hornicek told reporters in La Manga. "I would like to establish myself as the number one goalkeeper. I know it's just a long way to go, because we have so many good goalkeepers."
He added: "They've been really good and working hard, and we are pushing each other to the limit, so we get to the best version of ourselves in the whole of the season."
Grateful for support
Hornicek expressed gratitude for the help he has received from his new colleagues, saying they have been "really amazing" and even assisted him with his equipment.
"I wasn't expecting this, because I know there's a bigger rivalry, you know, who is the number one, and it was completely opposite, they've been trying to help me from the beginning," he said.
"As I said, they've even tried to help me put my device on my shoes, because I was not able to do that. So yeah, I can't complain, they've been really fantastic, and I'm really grateful that they've been this way."
Portuguese experience
Hornicek had been Braga's number one for the last 18 months and helped the Portuguese side reach the Europa League semi-finals last season. He moved to Portugal as a teenager from FK Pardubice and believes that early switch will ease his adjustment to English football.
"Yeah, I feel like it was a good step for me, because let's be honest, Czech Republic is not on such a high level as Portugal is," Hornicek explained. "So for sure, I think in the future, it will help me in the transition, because let's be honest, football is faster, a bit more comparable to English football."
Improved footwork
Hornicek credits Braga boss Carlos Vicens for improving his footwork and ability on the ball, which should make him a useful weapon for Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle.
"Honestly, I think what helped me was when the new coach came in, Carlos Vicens," Hornicek said. "He was actually demanding those passes, so we needed to change the training, the way we train, so we've been doing much more passes, much more possession of the ball."
He added: "This helped me a lot, in the end, to be more comfortable on the ball, and in the end, it worked out, and honestly, it's one of the most things that helped me with my footwork."
Versatile background
Hornicek's former youth coach at Pardubice, Miroslav Stichauer, revealed that the goalkeeper split his time as a teenager playing as a striker as well as in goal, which Hornicek says helped him rediscover his joy for goalkeeping.
"I was always a goalkeeper, but sometimes when we'd be going to tournaments, like a futsal and so on, sometimes I had to be playing up front, because I was maybe a little bit bored," he concluded.
"I really enjoy it, because it's different. It's always being in goal, it's nice taking the balls, but in the end, it's like everything, if you do it too much, you get bored, so I think I just need to freshen up, and to be, again, happy in the goal."
