Ipswich Town Promotion Winner Departs
Ipswich Town announced today that goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky has departed the club after an agreement couldn’t be reached over a new contract.
The 33-year-old was ever present for the Tractor Boys in their promotion season last year and will become a free agent after the expiry of his contract.
Who is Vaclav Hladky and what impact did he have for Ipswich?
Born in Brno, in what was then known as Czechoslovakia, the goalkeeper started his professional career in his native country. He played for numerous clubs including the likes of Zbrojovka Brno, MSK Břeclav and Slovan Liberec.
After failing to secure the number one jersey with Slovan Liberec, Hladky moved to the Scottish Premiership with St Mirren. He played 47 times for the Saints and was the hero of their relegation playoff in 2019, saving three of the four penalties against Dundee United to keep his side in the Scottish top tier.
The goalkeeper then moved to England and League Two side Salford City and won the golden glove having kept 22 clean sheets in the League. Hladky was also the hero for the Ammies in the EFL Trophy Final, saving a penalty in the shoot-out against Portsmouth.
His impressive displays for Salford caught the attention of Ipswich Town where he signed a three-year contract. Hladky’s time in Suffolk was a fairly unsuccessful one until he was made first choice ahead of the 2023-24 season.
The 33-year-old played in all 46 league games for the Tractor Boys and was key to the side’s promotion to the Premier League. He had a save percentage of 69% from a total of 168 shots faced throughout the season.
Hladky kept the Championship’s fourth highest total of clean sheets with 15 and was comfortable distributing the ball and starting attacks from the back. The keeper had a pass accuracy of 84.3% with an average of 4.44 accurate long balls per 90 minutes.
Despite his impressive performances, the 33 year old will be on the hunt for a new club for the start of the 2024-25 season.
Where could Hladky end up next?
With a promotion to the Premier League on his CV, there are likely to be a number of clubs looking at signing Hladky on a free. Since his release from Ipswich, there has been rumours of a move back to the Scottish Premiership, this time with Celtic.
With Joe Hart retiring at the end of last season, the Bhoys are in the market for a keeper and it would be a smart move for the club given Hladky’s experience and promotion winning season.
If the former Ipswich number one was looking to stay in the EFL, a move to Swansea City could be a move that would suit both parties. With last season’s goalkeeper Carl Rushworth unlikely to return to South Wales, the Swans will be looking for a new number one.
Given Hladky’s ability to pick out a pass and play with the ball at his feet, he may suit the possession heavy style of play that Luke Williams is looking to install into his Swansea side. Wherever the 33 year old ends up will be a good piece of business for the receiving club given his experience and ability as a number one.