Hugo Sochurek #25

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The baby of the squad, Sochurek was still 17 when the final selection was announced. A product of Sparta’s academy, he made his club debut last year, and his international debut in a warm-up game against Kosovo in May. But his cool, fearless approach convinced the coach, Miroslav Koubek, he was ready. After his first-team breakthrough at Sparta, coach Brian Priske said: “He plays like he's over 30. The first-team players immediately took him in and when they saw what he could do with the ball.” Sochurek’s youth coach Pavel Drsek told Eurofotbal.cz in May: “He's made a huge improvement in the last year, he’s grown bigger, he has strong thighs, it's hard to get him off the ball. He’s not a typical Czech midfielder, he likes the ball, his first thought is to go forward … And he's a great guy, a pure soul, but quiet. Once I handed him the captain's armband before a match and he immediately told me that he could not be the captain. He is not a classic leader, but he is clearly a driving force.”

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