Vaclav Hladky is now playing Championship football with ambitious Ipswich Town three years after coming close to joining Scottish Premiership giants Rangers instead.
At the time, the sight of a former St Mirren shot-stopper opting for fourth-tier Salford City over one of the two Old Firm giants certainly raised a few eyebrows.
Vaclav Hladky was one of the finest goalkeepers north of the border at the time, after all, and he did not exactly distance himself from speculation regarding a move to Ibrox while speaking in glowing terms about the city of Glasgow.
“When I was leaving St Mirren, I discussed a transfer with Rangers,” Hladky now explains, speaking via Football Scotland. “We got down to personal terms. It was a difficult decision to join a club in the fourth division of English football compared with Rangers.
“But I wanted to prove myself in English football, and that eventually earned me a move to Ipswich Town.”
Vaclav Hladky nearly joined Rangers
Given how far Ipswich have come in such a short space of time under former Manchester United coach Kieran McKenna, Hladky could now consider his decision justified, even if he did miss out on Champions League football and a Premiership winners’ medal at Ibrox.
Many an EFL expert has even raised the suggestion that Ipswich, after storming to promotion out of the third-tier in May, could soon be gracing the Premier League again sooner rather than later.
“Vaz has been terrific for us on and off the pitch in the 18 months I’ve been here,” McKenna told Suffolk News after the 32-year-old made a superb stoppage-time save to deny Sunderland a dramatic equaliser on opening weekend.
“I thought he was terrific in pretty much every game he played last season. In the FA Cup and the Carabao, but also in the Papa Johns (Trophy) as well. I think he was terrific in every game he played.
“He’s got his own qualities and his own strengths that he brings to his team and showed them last season. He shows them every day in training and he’s an important member of the group.”
Rangers now have former England international Jack Butland gracing their goalline. Butland is, however, yet to keep a clean sheet after two outings under Beale.
