Rudi Skácel facts for kids
Skácel playing for Hearts in 2011
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rudolf Skácel | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 17 July 1979 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Trutnov, Czechoslovakia | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1992 | FK Trutnov | |||||||||||||||
| 1992–1999 | Hradec Králové | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2002 | Hradec Králové | 37 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Slavia Prague | 57 | (13) | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Marseille | 20 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | → Panathinaikos (loan) | 16 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | → Heart of Midlothian (loan) | 35 | (16) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Southampton | 83 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | → Hertha BSC (loan) | 16 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2009 | Slavia Prague | 5 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2010 | Larissa | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Heart of Midlothian | 58 | (25) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Dundee United | 14 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2013 | Slavia Prague | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Mladá Boleslav | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Raith Rovers | 24 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | 1. FK Příbram | 43 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 422 | (80) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Czech Republic U21 | 9 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2010 | Czech Republic | 7 | (1) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Rudolf Skácel (born on July 17, 1979) is a retired professional footballer. He played as a midfielder and was known for being very flexible. He could play on the left side of the midfield, as an attacking midfielder, or even as a left back.
Skácel started his career in the Czech Republic before moving to France to play for Olympique de Marseille. He also played for teams in Greece, Germany, and Scotland. He is especially loved by fans of Heart of Midlothian (Hearts) in Scotland. He helped Hearts win the Scottish Cup twice, scoring important goals in both finals. He also played for the Czech Republic national team.
Contents
- Skácel's Football Journey
- Starting in the Czech Republic
- Playing for Marseille and on Loan
- First Time at Heart of Midlothian
- Time with Southampton and Hertha Berlin
- Returning to Slavia Prague
- Short Spell in Greece
- Second Time at Heart of Midlothian
- Playing for Dundee United
- Third Time at Slavia Prague
- Later Career and Retirement
- Playing for His Country
- Career Highlights and Awards
- See also
Skácel's Football Journey
Starting in the Czech Republic
Rudolf Skácel was born in Trutnov, a town in the Czech Republic. He began his football journey with FC Hradec Králové. He made his first team appearance in 1999. He helped his team get promoted to the top league in the Czech Republic.
In 2002, he joined Slavia Prague. With Slavia, he won the Czech Cup in May 2002. They beat their big rivals Sparta Prague in the final match. That same year, he also won a gold medal with the Czech Republic Under-21 team at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. His great performances caught the eye of French club Olympique de Marseille.
Playing for Marseille and on Loan
In August 2003, Skácel moved to France to play for Marseille. He made his first appearance for them in a big 5–0 win. He scored his only goal for Marseille in October 2003.
After his first season, he was loaned out to Panathinaikos, a Greek club. He scored two goals in his very first game for them. He also got to play in the UEFA Champions League for the first time with Panathinaikos. He scored five goals in total during his time in Greece.
First Time at Heart of Midlothian
After his loan in Greece, Skácel joined Heart of Midlothian (Hearts) in Scotland in July 2005. This was a loan deal from Marseille.
He had an amazing start with Hearts in the 2005–06 season. He scored in the first seven league games, which was a record in the Scottish Premier League. He scored his first goal for Hearts in a 4–0 win against their city rivals Hibernian. Skácel scored 16 goals that season. He also scored a goal in the 2006 Scottish Cup Final, helping Hearts win the cup. Even though he was a fan favorite, he left Hearts after this successful season.
Time with Southampton and Hertha Berlin
In July 2006, Skácel moved to Southampton in England. He reunited with his former Hearts manager, George Burley. He often played as a left back for Southampton.
In January 2008, he went on loan to Hertha BSC in Germany. He wanted to play in a top league to improve his chances of playing for his country. He was chosen for the UEFA Euro 2008 squad for the Czech Republic. However, he did not play in any of their games. Skácel returned to Southampton and left the club in May 2009.
Returning to Slavia Prague
In October 2009, Skácel went back to his old club, Slavia Prague, in the Czech Republic. He made a big impact in one game, scoring three goals in a 3–1 victory.
Short Spell in Greece
In January 2010, Skácel signed with Larissa, a Greek club. He played seven games for them before leaving.
Second Time at Heart of Midlothian
Skácel returned to Hearts in Scotland in September 2010. He quickly showed his scoring ability again. He scored a hat-trick against St Mirren in October 2010. He ended the 2010–11 season as Hearts' top scorer with 13 goals.
He continued his great form in the 2011–12 season. He scored another hat-trick against St Mirren in January 2012. He also scored important goals in the Scottish Cup. He scored in the quarter-finals and the semi-finals. In the historic 2012 Scottish Cup Final, he scored two goals as Hearts beat their rivals Hibernian 5–1. Hearts won the cup, and Skácel was named man of the match. He said this was the best way to say goodbye to the club.
Playing for Dundee United
In October 2012, Skácel joined Dundee United in Scotland. He chose the number 51 shirt, which caused some talk because it was a reference to Hearts' 5–1 win over Hibernian in the Scottish Cup Final. He played 16 games for Dundee United and scored one goal. He left the club in January 2013.
Third Time at Slavia Prague
In March 2013, Skácel returned to Slavia Prague for a third time. He helped the club avoid being relegated from the top league. He played five games before his contract ended.
Later Career and Retirement
After leaving Slavia Prague, Skácel was linked with other clubs but did not sign anywhere for a while. He even trained with Hearts again, but a transfer was not possible due to the club's financial issues at the time.
In July 2016, he signed with Raith Rovers in the Scottish Championship. He played 24 games for them.
After Raith Rovers, Skácel went back to the Czech Republic. He signed for 1. FK Příbram. He helped Příbram get promoted to the Czech First League in his first season. He played his final season in 2018–19.
Rudolf Skácel officially retired from football on June 2, 2019. This was after Příbram won a playoff game to stay in the top league.
Playing for His Country
Youth International Career
Skácel made his debut for the Czech Republic Under-21 team in October 2001. He scored a goal in an 8–0 victory. He was part of the team that won the 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship in Switzerland. He even scored in the penalty shootout in the final, helping his team win against France.
Senior International Career
Skácel made his debut for the Czech Republic national team on November 12, 2003, against Canada. He scored a goal just eight minutes after coming on as a substitute. He was called up for UEFA Euro 2008 but did not play in any matches. Overall, he played seven games for his country and scored one goal.
Career Highlights and Awards
Rudolf Skácel had a successful career, winning several trophies with his clubs and country.
- Hradec Králové
* Czech 2. Liga: 2000–01
- Slavia Prague
* Czech Cup: 2001–02
- Heart of Midlothian
* Scottish Cup: 2005–06, 2011–12
- Czech Republic Under-21
* UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2002
- Individual Awards
* Scottish Premier League Player of the Month: August 2005
See also
In Spanish: Rudolf Skácel para niños
