Left out for the first three games of the Czechs' qualification programme, he then got the nod ahead of Tomas Postulka for the remaining seven and kept four clean sheets in the process.

The 31-year-old was number two behind Petr Kouba during his country's run to the final of Euro 96 but made the keeper's jersey his own from September that year.

After that he played 15 consecutive matches until the end of 1997.

Then, as his club form at Newcastle slumped, he found himself dropped by both club and country and reluctantly returned to Banik Ostrava, his first club.

It took his return to Premiership action with Wednesday in November 1998, and an extended run in the first team ahead of former England squad member Kevin Pressman, to win back his international place.

Technically he remains as infuriating as ever - as good a shot-stopper as there is, but prone to uncertainty of David James proportions on crosses.