Tomas Rosicky
Born :
October 04, 1980
Birth place :
Prague, Czech Republic
Height :
5' 8'' (1.73m)
Weight :
150 lbs (67.9 kg)
Position :
Midfielder
Squad Number :
7
Previous Club(s) :
Borussia Dortmund
Sparta Prague
CKD Kompresory
Joined Arsenal :
May 23, 2006
2006/07
Tomas signed for the Club on May 23 after putting pen to paper on a long-term contract.
He took over the shirt number of Arsenal legend Robert Pires and Arsène Wenger was quick to tag Tomas as the Frenchman’s replacement.
He scored his first Arsenal goal on September 13 against Hamburg in the Champions League and went on to make 22 Premier League starts and 31 in all competitions.
Tomas scored his first Premiership goal against Wigan Athletic on February 11 when he powered home a close-range header.
2007/08
Tomas’ season was ended abruptly when the Czech midfielder limped off with a hamstring injury seven minutes into a game against Newcastle on January 26.
Arsène Wenger admitted that Tomas’ ongoing hamstring injury had left him flummoxed. “It is impossible to say when he will return. I don't know what to say really. It is a frustration for me and him as well.”
Before his injury he had made 19 starts in all competitions and scored seven goals, including netting against his former club Sparta Prague in the Champions League.
2008/09
Tomas did not feature for Arsenal during the 2008/09 season due to his tendon injury. He eventually returned to full training in May 2009, after 18 months of absence.
“I was a bit nervous I have to say. When you have been out for so long you don’t know what to expect. I did not know if I would still have the same sense of the game, the same understanding, as I had before. But it was great and I did everything with the team,” said Tomas.
“It has been a tough time for the medical staff and for me. I thank them but I hope I don’t have to go to the medical room again.
“Of course I still have a lot of work to do before I will be 100 per cent.”
2009/10
Given what Tomas had been through, it was good enough just to see him back in a red and white shirt in the 2009/10 season. So to see him show flashes of the technique and trickery which tempted Arsène Wenger to sign him four years ago truly warmed the heart.
Tomas had to wait a touch under 20 months to kick a ball for the first-team again after a seemingly innocuous injury forced him off against Newcastle in January 2008. And he marked his long-awaited return in September 2009 with a goal against Manchester City.
Niggling injuries did trouble Tomas; that's part and parcel of rehabilitation following such a lengthy lay-off. But he managed 33 appearances in all competitions, many of them from the bench when his experience and his ability to find space and pick a pass were invaluable.
And, typically, Tomas stepped up at vital junctures. He snatched a last-gasp equaliser against Everton in January and then kick-started a magnificent comeback against Bolton 11 days later, smashing a shot on the run past Jussi Jaaskelainen to help turn a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 victory and propel Arsenal to the top of the Premier League.
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