Photo via BBC Sport

'Big Ludo' - trailblazing keeper who became West Ham cult figure

West Ham United icon Ludek Miklosko has passed away at 64, having decided towards the close of 2024 to discontinue cancer therapy following a three-year battle, shortly before attending a home match against Liverpool to warm applause. Born in Prostejov, the 42-cap international—who represented both Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic—made history as the opening Czechoslovak player to join an English club when Lou Macari recruited him from Banik Ostrava for £300,000 in February 1990 to succeed Phil Parkes.

Macari departed right after escorting the 28-year-old on his flight to London, leaving Billy Bonds in charge, while colleagues Trevor Morley and Ian Bishop assisted the newly arrived shot-stopper with travel as he adapted without a vehicle or fluent English.

The 6ft 5in custodian established himself as an enduring terrace hero across 374 games over an eight-year tenure, earning Hammer of the Year honors during the 1991 promotion campaign alongside Frank McAvennie and Julian Dicks, while also reaching the last four of both domestic cup competitions. His defining performance came on the concluding afternoon of the 1994-95 season, producing a string of stops against Alex Ferguson's Manchester United—thwarting Lee Sharpe, Mark Hughes, and Andy Cole during a 1-1 stalemate that prevented the visitors from capturing the title and handed Blackburn Rovers the crown.