The former West Ham and QPR goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko has died at the age of 64. Miklosko, who won caps for Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, had been living with cancer. Miklosko joined West Ham from Baník Ostrava in 1990 for £300,000 after a trial and helped the club win promotion to the top division in his first season.
He left in 1998 having made 373 appearances, joining QPR, initially on loan. Miklosko ended his career at QPR in 2001 and returned to West Ham, where he worked as a goalkeeping coach until 2010. He later worked for a sports agency before taking roles at Baník Ostrava as a board member and sporting director.
West Ham said Miklosko would “forever hold a special place in the hearts of the West Ham family”. The club described him as a “beloved, inspirational goalkeeper and gentle giant of a man”. Miklosko played 40 times for Czechoslovakia and twice for the Czech Republic in an international career that began in 1982.
He said in 2024 that he was withdrawing from cancer treatment. His son Martin Miklosko said in a statement shared by West Ham: “We are heartbroken at his loss, but take huge comfort from the immense support he received from all of you, along with the knowledge that he is now at peace and no longer suffering. The club, and its fans, were and always will be a part of our family, so thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.”
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