Marek Štěch (born 28 January 1990) is a Czech professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who last played as a

goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...

for club

Mansfield Town Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third level of the English football league system. The club was formed in 1897 as Mans ...

. He began his career with local club

Sparta Prague Athletic Club Sparta Praha (), commonly known as Sparta Prague and Sparta Praha, is a professional football club based in Prague. It is the most successful club in the Czech Republic and one of the most successful in central Europe, winning t ...

, spending four years in their

youth system In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team if they show en ...

. In 2006, aged 16, Štěch signed for

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

club

West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...

for an undisclosed fee. Štěch had

loan In finance, a loan is the tender of money by one party to another with an agreement to pay it back. The recipient, or borrower, incurs a debt and is usually required to pay interest for the use of the money. The document evidencing the deb ...

spells with

Wycombe Wanderers Wycombe Wanderers Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 188 ...

and

AFC Bournemouth AFC Bournemouth ( ) is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. ...

in 2009, but made only three appearances in total. He made his first-team debut for West Ham in the League Cup in August 2010 before spending more time out on loan in League One with Yeovil Town and

Leyton Orient Leyton Orient Football Club, commonly referred to as Orient, is a professional association football club based in Leyton, Waltham Forest, London, England. The team compete in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. ...

in 2011–12. After six years with the club, Štěch left West Ham by mutual consent to join Yeovil Town permanently, and helped them win

promotion Promotion may refer to: Marketing * Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...

to the

Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

. He turned down a new contract with Yeovil, and re-signed for Sparta Prague in 2014. Štěch has represented the Czech Republic at under-17 and under-21 levels and has been

capped In sport, a cap is a player's appearance in a game at international level. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of rugby football and association football. In the e ...

once by the Czech Republic national team.

Club career

Early career

Born in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, Czechoslovakia, Štěch began his career with local club

, where he became a trainee in July 2005.

West Ham United

On 31 August 2006, Štěch signed for

club

for an undisclosed fee. Due to an ankle injury, his debut was delayed until 17 November 2006, for the West Ham under-18 team in the

Premier Academy League The Premier Academy League (sometimes abbreviated as FAPAL) was the top level of youth football in England before it was to be replaced by a new league proposed by the Elite Player Performance Plan in 2012, which was accepted by the 72 member c ...

, which ended in a goalless draw against Chelsea. Štěch subsequently made his reserve-team debut in the 1–1 home draw against

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

at the

Boleyn Ground Boleyn Ground, often referred to as Upton Park, was a football stadium in Upton Park, London, Upton Park, east London, England. It was the home of West Ham United F.C., West Ham United from 1904 to 2016, and was briefly used by Charlton Athletic ...

on 20 November 2006. In July 2008, Štěch signed a new five-year contract with West Ham and was involved in the club's first-team pre-season programme. On 18 January 2009, he was named as first-team substitute goalkeeper for the first time for West Ham's visit to

Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...

. On 12 March 2009, Štěch signed for League Two club

until the end of the season. Štěch made his

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...

debut for Wycombe on 14 March 2009 in a 3–3 away draw against

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...

. However, a groin and hip injury sustained in training limited him to just two appearances for Wycombe, before returning to West Ham for treatment. At the beginning of 2009–10, Štěch was handed the number 34 shirt. However, before making any appearances for the senior team, that number was taken by

Olly Lee Oliver Robert Lee (born 11 July 1991) is an English former professional footballer and coach who played as a midfielder. He is currently Under 21's Coach at Norwich City. Lee started his career as a youth player with West Ham United, with whom ...

in a League Cup match against

Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Poplar, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east of ...

. On 11 December 2009, Štěch signed for League Two club

on an emergency loan due to last for seven days after Bournemouth after receiving special dispensation from the Football League. The following day, Štěch made his debut for Bournemouth but let in five goals as they lost 5–0 away to

Morecambe Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district of Lancashire, England, on Morecambe Bay, part of the Irish Sea. In 2011 the parish had a population of 34,768. Name The first use of the name was by John Whit ...

. Štěch's loan with Bournemouth lasted only one match, and he returned to West Ham, where he was named as substitute goalkeeper in West Ham's next match, a 1–1 home draw with Chelsea. During the season, Štěch was named as substitute goalkeeper for West Ham on 14 occasions in all competitions, including 13 times in the Premier League and once in the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

. On 24 August 2010, Štěch made his debut for the West Ham first-team, against

Oxford United Oxford United Football Club () is a professional association football, football club based in Oxford, England. The club compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football league system, English football. Founded as Headingto ...

in the League Cup, keeping a

clean sheet In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usually seen as a result of ...

in a 1–0 victory. He made a total of three appearances in the League Cup for West Ham and was an unused substitute on 13 occasions in the Premier League. In October 2011, Štěch signed on loan for League One club Yeovil Town following an injury to Yeovil's first choice goalkeeper Jed Steer. He made his debut on 15 October 2011, in a 3–0 home defeat by

Carlisle United Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team currently compete in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system. They have played their ...

. On 14 November 2011, he was recalled from his loan five days early by West Ham. He made five appearances for Yeovil, keeping one clean sheet and saving a

penalty Penalty, The Penalty, Penalization, Penalisation, Penalize or Penalise may refer to: Sports * Foul (sports) ** Penalty (golf) ** Penalty (gridiron football) ** Penalty (ice hockey) ** Penalty (rugby) ** Penalty (rugby union) ** Penalty kick (assoc ...

in a 0–0 draw with

Stevenage Stevenage ( ) is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevenage w ...

on 22 October 2011. On 24 February 2012, Štěch signed on a month-long loan for League One club

. Štěch made his Leyton Orient debut the following day in a 1–1 draw against Bury, but he only managed two matches before suffering an ankle injury. At the end of 2011–12, West Ham confirmed that Štěch had left the club by mutual consent after six years in east London.

Yeovil Town

On 5 July 2012, following his departure from West Ham, Štěch signed permanently for League One club Yeovil Town on a two-year contract, becoming the club's first permanent goalkeeper on the books since 2008–09. Štěch made his first appearance of the season and permanent debut for Yeovil in a League Cup tie at home to

Colchester United Colchester United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Colchester, Essex, England. The team competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded in 1937, the club spent its ea ...

on 14 August 2012. Štěch was ever-present for Yeovil in

, playing 56 matches and keeping 19 clean sheets, and was man of the match in the 2013 League One play-off final as Yeovil won

to the

for the first time in their history. After being substituted for Gareth Stewart in a 1–0 home defeat against

Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...

, it was confirmed Štêch would be out for 3–4 months with a fractured hand. After four months out, Štěch made his return from injury in a 1–0 loss against

Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...

. At the end of 2013–14, which resulted in Yeovil Town's relegation, Štěch was offered a new contract with the club.

Sparta Prague

Štěch rejected Yeovil's offer and moved back to Czech club Sparta Prague, the club he represented as a child, to replace outgoing Sparta goalkeeper

Tomáš Vaclík Tomáš Vaclík (; born 29 March 1989) is a Czech professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Portuguese Primeira Liga club Boavista F.C., Boavista and the Czech Republic nationa ...

Luton Town

On 14 June 2017, Štěch signed for League Two club

Luton Town Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...

on a two-year contract upon the expiry of his contract with Sparta Prague. He made his debut on 5 August 2017, starting Luton's 8–2 win at home to former club Yeovil Town on the opening day of 2017–18, in which he saved a penalty from Otis Khan. Štěch kept his first clean sheet for Luton in a 3–0 victory at home to Colchester United on 19 August. He signed a one-year extension to his contract in June 2018. Having not featured during the 2019–20 campaign, Štěch was released at the end of his contract.

Mansfield Town

Following his release by Luton, Štěch signed for

on a two-year contract. At the end of the 2020–21 season, Štěch was transfer-listed by Mansfield Town.

Milín

In summer 2023, Štěch joined TJ Ligmet Milín.

International career

Štěch made under-17 debut in a 1–0 win against

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

in February 2006, and played in the

2006 UEFA European Under-17 Championship The 2006 UEFA European Under-17 Championship was the fifth edition of UEFA's European Under-17 Football Championship. Luxembourg hosted the championship, during 3–14 May. Russia defeated the Czech Republic in the final to win the competition fo ...

as the Czech Republic finished the competition as runners-up to

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. On 13 May 2014, Štěch received his first call-up to the Czech Republic national team for their friendlies against

and

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

on 21 May 2014 and 5 June 2014. Despite being an unused substitute against Finland, Štěch debuted as a starter against Austria.

Controversy

On 13 April 2013, Štěch posted two offensive tweets on his Twitter account. One of the tweets called Sparta's rival club

Slavia Prague Sportovní klub Slavia Praha – fotbal (Sports Club Slavia Prague – Football, ), commonly known as Slavia Praha or Slavia Prague, is a Czech professional football club in Prague. Founded in 1892, they are the second most successful club in t ...

"''Fucking jews''". Štěch later deleted the two tweets and apologised.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

Yeovil Town *

Football League One play-offs The EFL League One play-offs are a series of play-off matches contested by the association football teams finishing from third to sixth in the EFL League One table and are part of the English Football League play-offs. , the play-offs comprise tw ...

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

Sparta Prague *

Czech Supercup The Czech Supercup () was an annual football match between the winners of the Czech First League and the Czech Cup, organised by the Czech Football Association. It was last sponsored by Synot Tip and was therefore officially known as the Synot ...

: 2014 Luton Town *

EFL League Two The English Football League Two, simply known as League Two and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Betting & Gaming, Sky Bet League Two, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League Two is the fourth division of the English ...

runner-up: 2017–18 Czech Republic U17 * European Under-17 Championship runner-up:

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

Individual *

PFA Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's Football in England, En ...

: 2017–18 League Two

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stech, Marek 1990 births Living people Footballers from Prague Czech men's footballers Czech Republic men's youth international footballers Czech Republic men's under-21 international footballers Czech Republic men's international footballers Men's association football goalkeepers AC Sparta Prague players West Ham United F.C. players Wycombe Wanderers F.C. players AFC Bournemouth players Yeovil Town F.C. players Leyton Orient F.C. players Luton Town F.C. players Mansfield Town F.C. players English Football League players Czech First League players Czech expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in England Czech expatriate sportspeople in England 21st-century Czech sportsmen