Tomáš Rosický

Tomáš Rosický

Rosický with Arsenal in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Tomáš Rosický
Date of birth	(1980-10-04) 4 October 1980 (age 36)
Place of birth	Prague, Czechoslovakia
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Attacking midfielder / Winger
Club information
Current team	Sparta Prague
Number	10
Youth career
1986–1988	ČKD Kompresory Prague
1988–1998	Sparta Prague
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1998–2001	Sparta Prague	41	(8)
2001–2006	Borussia Dortmund	149	(20)
2006–2016	Arsenal	170	(19)
2016–	Sparta Prague	1	(0)
National team‡
1995–1996	Czech Republic U15	10	(0)
1996	Czech Republic U16	12	(5)
1997–1998	Czech Republic U17	16	(6)
1998–1999	Czech Republic U18	9	(3)
1999	Czech Republic U21	2	(0)
2000–	Czech Republic	105	(23)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10 September 2016. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 31 December 2016

Tomáš Rosický (Czech pronunciation: [toˈmaːʃ roˈsɪtskiː]; born 4 October 1980) is a Czech professional footballer who plays for Sparta Prague and is the current captain of the Czech Republic national team. He was nicknamed "the little Mozart" for his ability to "orchestrate" the midfield.

He started his professional career at his hometown club Sparta Prague, playing three seasons in the Czech First League before moving to Borussia Dortmund in 2001 for DM 25 million (approximately £8 million), at the time a record transfer fee paid by a Bundesliga club. In his first season in Germany, he helped his team win the league title and reach the 2002 UEFA Cup Final. Rosický joined Arsenal in 2006, and made 247 appearances for the club, including appearing in their victory in the 2014 FA Cup Final. He spent a total of ten seasons in the Premier League, affected by several long-term injuries.

Internationally, Rosický made his debut for the Czech Republic in 2000 and became captain of his country in 2006. He has taken part in four UEFA European Championships as well as the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He earned his 100th cap on 12 June 2015.

Rosický began his career at Sparta Prague, following his father Jiří who played for the club in the 1970s and brother, also called Jiří who played as a trainee in the 1990s. Having played for Sparta's youth teams, Tomáš debuted for Sparta's senior team in 1998 and played three matches in the 1998–99 season, winning the national title with Sparta. He scored five goals in the 1999–2000 season as the team won the league for the second year in succession. He was named the "Talent of the Year" at the 1999 Czech Footballer of the Year awards. During the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League group stage, he scored goals in matches against Shakhtar Donetsk and Arsenal, attracting the attention of German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, which had a bid accepted for the player in January 2001.