Vitezslav Jaros, the goalie for Liverpool, has not yet made his debut for the Reds, although he did play 45 minutes in the 7-1 victory for the Czech Republic.
With Euro 2024 rapidly approaching, Vitezslav Jaros, the goalkeeper for Liverpool, made an unexpected debut for the Czech Republic against Malta. With his team up by two goals, Czech coach Ivan Hasek gave Jaros a full 45 minutes.
After the break, Jaros took Matej Kovar’s position in goal for Bayer Leverkusen. The young player from Liverpool went on to help his team win the match 7-1 by scoring five more goals.
The 22-year-old’s evening was somewhat ruined when he gave up a goal in the 59th minute. Paul Mbong, the youthful forward, dribbled by him and finished with the ball in the empty net to score the goal.
For Jaros, who will be Kovar’s backup at the tournament, it was nonetheless a memorable evening. The Czech Republic is aiming to advance from group F to the round of 16 at Euro 2024. The Eastern European team is grouped alongside Portugal, Georgia, and Turkey, the 2016 winners.
For Jaros personally, the past six months have been excellent. He went on loan from Liverpool to Sturm Graz in January, where he helped the team win its first league title since 2011 and unseat reigning champion Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Jaros also contributed to Graz’s victory in the Austrian double, when the team defeated Rapid Vienna 2-1 to win the cup. Jaros said to This Is Anfield in March of this year, following his first call-up to the Czech senior team: “It was a proud moment.”
“In general, it went well. Good staff and a good group of boys. Making the move up was a wonderful idea, and getting to know everyone was beneficial. The difference between the under-21 and first teams is significant, therefore I’m thrilled about it.
After moving to Liverpool from Slavia Prague in 2017, Jaros spent the next few years on loan at a number of different teams. Aside from his loan stint in Austria this year, he has also had stints at Irish side St. Patrick’s Athletic, Notts County, and Stockport Country in England.
At the end of this month, he will return to Liverpool, but there’s no telling what the future holds for him; another loan spell may be in the works. Jaros has not yet played a game for the Reds.