Radek Vitek has taken to social media to clarify a comment he made in his first interview as a Middlesbrough player, after joining from Manchester United on Saturday.
The 22-year-old goalkeeper completed a move to the Championship side for an initial fee of £7 million, potentially rising to £14 million with add-ons. He impressed on loan at Bristol City last season and decided to leave Old Trafford after United signed Karl Darlow as backup to Senne Lammens.
Clarification on social media
In his introductory interview, Vitek said: "It's a new challenge for me, a new stepping stone in my career, so I'm really excited." The phrase "stepping stone" drew criticism, with some suggesting he viewed Middlesbrough as a temporary stop.
Vitek responded on X: "I wanted to clarify what I meant by 'stepping stone'. I just want to assure everyone that I have not meant that in any negative way. The point of the comment was that this is very important step in my career going forward. I can’t wait to get started."
Background and expectations
Vitek joined Manchester United six years ago from Czech side Sigma Olomouc. Although he never made a competitive first-team appearance for the club, his performances at Bristol City last season attracted significant transfer interest this summer.
United described the Czech youth international as a "model professional" in their exit statement and included buy-back and sell-on clauses in the deal. Vitek is expected to be Middlesbrough's first-choice goalkeeper as they push for promotion to the Premier League.
Speaking about his move, Vitek said: "It feels great to be here. This is a new challenge for me and I’m really excited to be a Boro player. The project here is very impressive, because you can clearly see the ambition and where the club wants to go. I’m delighted to now be part of that. The mission is clear: to go to the Premier League. I think everyone at the club has that mindset, and I want the same thing. Now I just can’t wait to get started."
United sold Vitek after signing Darlow on a free transfer from Leeds to provide backup to Lammens alongside veteran Tom Heaton. Andre Onana has rejoined Trabzonspor on loan for a second consecutive season, while Altay Bayindir has left for a loan spell at Celta Vigo.
