Background and career
Tomáš Rosický (Czech pronunciation: [ˈtomaːʃ ˈrosɪtskiː]; born 4 October 1980) is a Czech former professional footballer who was the captain of the Czech Republic national team for a ten-year period. He played club football for Sparta Prague, Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal. Currently, he serves as the sports director of Sparta Prague.
A midfielder, 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 is the Czech Republic's fourth highest goalscorer of all time.
