Former Arsenal midfielder and legend Tomas Rosicky has officially completed a move to Czech Synot Liga club Sparta Prague according to the official confirmation from the club on Twitter.
Subsequently, talkSPORT, among other online news papers too confirmed the news:
Former Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky re-joins former club Sparta Prague – https://t.co/LpFACtfipo #AFC pic.twitter.com/CzoW6vfz6t
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) August 30, 2016
Rosicky finished his 10 years at Emirates stadium when his last and final club contract expired at the end of the 2015/16 season. Tomas Rosicky had spent three seasons with Sparta before moving to former German champions Borussia Dortmund in 2001 for a record transfer fee of €14.5m in the Bundesliga.
The former Arsenal star has finally returned to his childhood club Sparta Prague, 15 years after leaving the Czech giants.
The 35-year-old Rosicky, whose career with Arsenal was marred by frequent injuries, finished his 10 years with the English Premier League club and was initially out of contract this summer. The Gunners’ boss Arsene Wenger, however, gave Rosicky permission to continue training with Arsenal out of respect as he looked to maintain fitness ahead of the new season. The “the little Mozart” will now return to his homeland in what is likely to be the final move of his career.
Despite an injury , Rosicky managed to feature in two games for the Czech Republic at the Euro 2016 in France before they were eliminated at the group stages. Following the tournament he has now agreed a two-year contract with Sparta, the club with whom he began his junior career back in 1988 at the age of just eight.
A statement published on the Czech side’s website said Rosicky had trained with his new team-mates for the first time on Tuesday afternoon. Speaking at a press conference Rosicky said:
“I’m not coming here just to play. I’m coming here to win.
“I’m starting to train with the team now, which is what I need right now.”
Rosicky, who was fondly called ‘the little Mozart’ by many Arsenal fans, has been given the No.10 shirt by his boyhood club.
Sparta finished runners-up to Viktoria Plzen in the Czech top flight last season and missed out on reaching this season’s Champions League after losing their qualifying fixture against Romanian side Steaua Bucharest. And Rosicky is set to return to England when Sparta visit Premier League side Southampton FC in the Europa League next month.
The Czech international came through the Sparta youth academy before making his first-team debut in September 1999, following in the footsteps of his father Jiri Rosicky, who spent over a decade at the club during the 1960s and 1970s.
Rosicky made 247 appearances for Arsenal in total between 2006 and 2016. He also has 105 international caps to his name. Rosicky won the FA Cup twice in two consecutive years (2014 & 2015) during his time with Arsenal and clinched the 2001-02 Bundesliga title with Dortmund.
Rosicky was given a guard of honor by his fellow Arsenal players and staff on the final day of last season when his contract with Arsene Wenger’s side expired. One can imagine how important player he has been to the club.
Tomas Rosicky leaves behind a distinct impression among the Arsenal faithful. In his own, right, a true Arsenal legend who committed himself to the club, season after season during a difficult period.
