Luděk Mikloško, the former West Ham United, QPR and Czech goalkeeper, has died aged 64 following a long battle with cancer. West Ham called him their “beloved, inspirational goalkeeper and gentle giant of a man,” and will honour him before Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie at Fulham as well as at the Championship home game against QPR on October 9.
His West Ham legacy
Mikloško joined West Ham from Baník Ostrava in February 1990 and became one of the defining players of the club’s 1990s era. He made 373 appearances for the Hammers across eight seasons, helped them earn promotion to the top division in 1991 and 1993, and became a lasting fan favourite as “Ludo.”
His connection with supporters endured long after his final playing appearance. West Ham said his song has continued to be sung at every match since his final visit to London in December 2024, while a major supporter tifo in his honour was displayed in February 2026.
Mikloško left West Ham for QPR in 1998, made 57 league appearances for the London club and retired in 2001. He subsequently returned to West Ham as a goalkeeping coach, working with the club until 2010.
Illness and tributes
He was diagnosed with cancer in 2021. In December 2024, he publicly confirmed that he would not continue chemotherapy, explaining that he wanted to “live a normal life” and remain close to his family, work and football.
Mikloško’s son, Martin, announced his father’s death, describing his battle with cancer as courageous. His former club Baník Ostrava also confirmed the news; Mikloško had served there as sporting director while managing his illness.
Petr Čech paid a particularly personal tribute, calling him “a goalkeeping legend” and “one of the nicest people in football.” Čech said that conversations with Mikloško after he joined Chelsea helped him understand the Premier League, adding that he was grateful to “Ludo” for opening the door for Czech goalkeepers in England.
International career
The description of Mikloško as solely a 1990 World Cup player is incomplete. He represented both Czechoslovakia and, after the country’s dissolution, the Czech Republic: he earned 40 caps for Czechoslovakia and two for Czechia in an international career that began in 1982.
He is remembered not merely for longevity or his imposing presence, but for becoming one of the first Czech footballers to establish a major connection with an English club after the Velvet Revolution—and for the warmth, humility and loyalty that made that connection endure.
