Newcastle star is one of Europe’s top young keepers who even played up front for former club

‘Quite simply, when Lukas Hornicek was your goalkeeper, you didn’t concede many goals.’

That statement will be music to the ears of Newcastle fans, who have been told their new No.1 is as safe a pair of feet as he is hands.

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Hornicek completed a £25.7million move to Tyneside from Braga at the end of last month and remains the only Newcastle signing during the current window aged older than 21.

The Czech shot-stopper started all but one league match for the Liga Portugal outfit last season to help them secure a fourth-place finish.

On paper, he is an ideal fit for new head coach Matthias Jaissle’s usual high defensive line; only five goalkeepers in Europe’s top 10 leagues registered more keeper sweepings (45) according to Opta last term.

That style of play was first cultivated in the academy of one of Hornicek’s first clubs – FK Pardubice in the Czech First League.

Ladislav Matras, now head coach of the regional football academy at the club, first started working with Newcastle’s new No.21 when he was in the Under-12s through to Under-15 level.

Hornicek ‘really was exceptional’

Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT.com, Matras said: “I remember that in the Under-12 team, whenever we needed to keep a clean sheet, Lukáš played in goal.

“But if we desperately needed to score, we simply pushed him up front. He really was exceptional, both as a footballer and as a person.

“I never heard anyone say a negative word about him. He has always been a fantastic young man and an outstanding athlete.”

He continued: “To be honest, I don’t think he had any obvious weaknesses. Our goalkeeper coaches – Tuček, Volšík, Shejbal and others – worked with him on every aspect of goalkeeping in a comprehensive way.

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“He always had outstanding physical attributes, which is a huge advantage for any goalkeeper.

“He was exceptionally tall for his age, but despite that, he was also remarkably agile and athletic.

“Because he had plenty of experience playing outfield, he was also very comfortable with the ball at his feet.

“He quickly outgrew the competition in his own age group, so we decided to move him up a level. In fact, he practically skipped the Under-14 category altogether and went straight into the Under-15 team.”

Hornicek’s ability with his feet saw him boast the second-best 100 per cent success rate at sweeping behind Barcelona‘s Joan Garcia (52).

Matras added: “He was outstanding in almost every position on the pitch. He could play anywhere without any problems, but he was always naturally drawn to goalkeeping, and we were all very happy about that.

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“I don’t want to take anything away from the other boys in his age group, but there was always a huge difference between having Lukas in goal and having anyone else there.

“Quite simply, when Lukáš Horníček was your goalkeeper, you didn’t concede many goals!”

That was most evident last term when the 6ft 6in star recorded 24 clean sheets across all competitions.

Hornicek even saved three of the 10 penalties he faced, including one from Morgan Gibbs-White in a 1-0 defeat for Nottingham Forest.

His rapid rise to the top comes as little surprise to those at Pardubice, with Matras revealing that ‘there were many European clubs that showed serious interest in him.’

The biggest sale in club history

Horníček went on trial at Bayer Leverkusen in 2017 and within two years had joined Braga on loan shortly after his 17th birthday.

Carlos Vicens’ side made the move permanent after a year in what was Pardubice’s biggest sale in the club’s history.

Vít Zavřel, Chairman of the Board, told talkSPORT: “Our long-term priority is to invest these funds in a way that brings the greatest possible benefit to the future of FK Pardubice.

“If the club receives extraordinary income, it is directed primarily towards the club’s further development rather than simply covering its day-to-day operating costs.

“Specifically, the money will be invested in infrastructure, the continued development of our youth academy, women’s football, and creating even better conditions for the first team.

“Our goal is to build the club systematically and with a long-term vision, so that FK Pardubice continues to grow stronger both on and off the pitch and keeps moving to the next level.”

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Horníček, meanwhile, has gone from strength to strength since leaving his boyhood club – making his Primeira Liga bow in May 2022.

He played an integral part in Braga’s run to the Europa League semi-finals, with his seven clean sheets in 14 matches the most of any goalkeeper in last season’s competition.

Horníček was rewarded for his form with a senior international debut in May during a 2-1 friendly win against Kosovo.

He was also part of his country’s World Cup finals squad this summer before sealing a Premier League switch to St James’ Park.

Matras explained to talkSPORT: “For that journey to turn into such a wonderful story is something you can only dream about.

“We are all incredibly happy for him, and we’re all cheering him on to reach the very highest level. He has an unbelievable future ahead of him, and he truly deserves it.”

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“It’s impossible to put that feeling into words”, Matras said of the pride in his former starlet becoming Newcastle’s first Czech goalkeeper since Pavel Srníček.

“I’m incredibly proud of all my colleagues at FK Pardubice, everyone at the Regional Academy, and all the people who played a part in developing such an exceptional footballer and person as Lukáš Horníček.

“I’m convinced there isn’t anyone in Pardubice—or even anywhere in the Czech Republic—who won’t be supporting him and wishing him every success.”