Lukas Hradecky facts for kids
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Hradecky with Bayer Leverkusen in 2022
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 November 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Bratislava, Czechoslovakia | ||
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Bayer Leverkusen | ||
| Number | 1 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2000 | TPK | ||
| 2001–2008 | TPS | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008 | TPS | 0 | (0) |
| 2008 | → ÅIFK (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2009–2013 | Esbjerg fB | 76 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | Brøndby | 69 | (0) |
| 2015–2018 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 101 | (0) |
| 2018– | Bayer Leverkusen | 209 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2006 | Finland U17 | 1 | (0) |
| 2007 | Finland U18 | 11 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Finland U19 | 5 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | Finland U20 | 2 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Finland U21 | 10 | (0) |
| 2010– | Finland | 97 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 January 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 November 2024 |
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Lukas Hradecky (born November 24, 1989) is a famous Finnish professional footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper and is the captain for both Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and the Finland national team.
Lukas was born in Bratislava, which is now in Slovakia. He moved to the Finnish city of Turku when he was just one year old. He started his senior club career playing for TPS. At 19, he joined Esbjerg fB in 2009. While in Denmark, he won his first trophy, the Danish 1st Division, and later helped Esbjerg win the Danish Cup in 2013. Lukas was named Finnish Footballer of the Year three times in a row from 2016 to 2018.
In the 2023–24 season, Lukas Hradecky led Bayer Leverkusen to win their first ever Bundesliga championship title. This was a huge achievement for the club. He also played for Finland's youth teams before joining the main national team in 2010. He helped the Finland national team qualify for the UEFA Euro 2020, which was their first time ever playing in the UEFA European Championship.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting with TPS
Lukas Hradecky began his football journey at TPS in Turku, Finland, where he grew up. In 2008, he played in an international youth tournament in the Netherlands. There, he won an award for being the best goalkeeper.
Time at Esbjerg
On January 10, 2009, Lukas moved to Esbjerg fB, a Danish club. He signed a four-year contract. In 2010, he had a chance to try out for Manchester United, a very famous English club. However, he decided to stay at Esbjerg to be their main goalkeeper. His contract with Esbjerg ended after the 2012–13 season.
Moving to Brøndby
On June 12, 2013, Lukas joined another Danish club, Brøndby IF, on a free transfer. He signed a four-year deal. He played his first game for Brøndby in the Superliga on June 21, 2013.
Playing for Eintracht Frankfurt
In August 2015, Lukas transferred to Eintracht Frankfurt, a German club in the Bundesliga. News reports suggested the transfer cost around €2.5 million. In his last season with Eintracht (2017–18), he was chosen as the Bundesliga Goalkeeper of the Season. His team also won the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) title that year.
Success with Bayer Leverkusen
In May 2018, Bayer Leverkusen announced that Lukas Hradecky would join them for the 2018–19 season. He signed a contract until 2023. He played his first game for Leverkusen on September 15, 2018. Since the 2021–22 season, Lukas has been the captain of Leverkusen.
Leading Leverkusen to Glory
On August 30, 2022, Lukas signed a new contract with Leverkusen, keeping him with the club until June 2026. In the first half of the 2023–24 season, under manager Xabi Alonso, Lukas helped his team have an amazing start. They led the Bundesliga and went 16 league games without losing. They also had seven "clean sheets," meaning they didn't let the other team score any goals.
On February 3, 2024, Lukas achieved his 80th clean sheet in the Bundesliga. This was a record for any foreign-born goalkeeper in the league's history. On April 14, 2024, after a big win, Lukas and Leverkusen won the club's first ever Bundesliga championship title. This happened with five games still left in the season!
A month later, Lukas played his 292nd Bundesliga match. This made him the foreign goalkeeper with the most appearances in the German top league, breaking Yann Sommer's record. On May 12, 2024, Lukas helped Leverkusen stay unbeaten for a record 50 games in the 2023–24 season. His team also won the 2023–24 DFB-Pokal (German Cup) on May 25, 2024. In June 2024, ESPN ranked Lukas as the 9th best goalkeeper in the world.
On August 17, 2024, Lukas and Leverkusen won the 2024 DFL-Supercup, completing the club's first ever "triple" (winning three major trophies). On October 19, he played his 300th Bundesliga game, becoming the first foreign goalkeeper to reach this milestone.
International Career
Playing for Finland's Youth Teams
Lukas Hradecky played for Finland's national teams at different youth levels. He first played for a junior national team when he was 16 years old in 2006. He was also part of the Finland national under-20 football team. Lukas was chosen for the Finland national under-21 football team for a big tournament in 2009, but he couldn't play due to a knee injury. He was the main goalkeeper for Finland's under-21 team during their qualification games for the 2011 UEFA European U21 Championship.
Playing for the Finland National Team
In January 2010, Lukas was called up to the Finland national football team. He made his first appearance for the main team on May 21, 2010. He played his first UEFA European Championship qualification game in June 2011. During 2011, he became a regular player for the Finland national team.
Lukas played in all three of Finland's games at the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament. Finland finished third in their group and were knocked out. However, Lukas was recognized as the best goalkeeper of the group stage in the tournament.
Personal Life
Lukas Hradecky was born in Bratislava, Slovakia. In 1990, when he was one year old, his father, who was a volleyball player, moved to Finland. Lukas's family then settled in Runosmäki, Finland. His brothers, Tomas and Matej, are also professional footballers.
Lukas has dual citizenship, meaning he is a citizen of both Finland and Slovakia. He can speak many languages, including Finnish, Slovak, English, Danish, German, and Swedish.
In January 2024, it was reported that Lukas had invested in a restaurant business in Helsinki, along with his brother Matej and fellow footballer Teemu Pukki. Lukas has also been a part-owner of his old club, TPS. In August 2024, he increased his share and became one of the club's main owners. He also started advising the TPS board.
Honours and Awards
Lukas Hradecky has won many awards and trophies throughout his career:
With Esbjerg fB
- Danish Cup: 2012–13
- Danish 1st Division: 2011–12
With Eintracht Frankfurt
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 2017–18
With Bayer Leverkusen
- Bundesliga (German League): 2023–24
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 2023–24
- DFL-Supercup: 2024
With Finland National Team
- Baltic Cup runner-up: 2012
Individual Awards
- Football Association of Finland Promising Player of the Year: 2007
- Finnish Footballer of the Year: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024
- Best Goalkeeper Award at International Karel Stegeman U-19 Youth Tournament: 2008
- Finland national under-21 football team Goalkeeper of the Year: 2010
- Finland national under-21 football team Player of the Year: 2010
- Danish Superliga Goalkeeper of the Year: 2013
- Danish Superliga Best Player of the Spring Season: 2013
- Esbjerg fB Best Player of the Season: 2013
- Finnish Sports Journalists Footballer of the Year: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023
- Finnish Sports Personality of the Year: 2020
- Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2017–18
Images for kids
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Hradecky with Bayer Leverkusen in 2022
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Hradecky with Finland in 2011
See also
In Spanish: Lukáš Hrádecký para niños
