Tomáš Čvančara made an immediate impact on his Hradec Králové debut on Sunday, helping his new side beat former club Sparta Prague 2-1.
Čvančara played 83 minutes and provided the assist for what proved to be the winning goal in the 25th minute.
Hradec broke quickly and Čvančara found himself in a position where he could have gone for goal himself, but instead picked out Mick van Buren, who finished to make it 2-0.
Explaining the decision afterwards, Čvančara said: (FC Hradec Králové YouTube), “It was a 3-1 situation. If I wanted to, I could have gone 1-1 or tried to burn it somehow.
“But as you said, Mik was beautifully prepared. I noticed him at the bar. He was a goalkeeper himself.
“He handled it well.”
Sparta pulled one back later in the game, but Hradec held on for the three points.
It was a strong first appearance for Čvančara, particularly given the lack of preparation time with his new teammates.
The 26-year-old only trained with Hradec for the first time on Thursday after completing his move during the week.
Čvančara admitted the decision to return to Czech football came after discussions with his family.
He said: “After three years abroad, and it’s true, as many people say, we decided with my family that we want to go back to the Czech Republic.
“Hradec gave me a helping hand, for which I am very happy.”
Sunday’s result also moved Hradec above Sparta in the Czech First League table.
Hradec now sit eighth on 10 points from six matches, while Sparta are 10th with nine points from seven games.
Čvančara’s assist therefore had an immediate effect on both the result and Hradec’s early-season position.
The striker spent part of last season on loan at Celtic, although his time in Glasgow never really developed into the spell either side would have hoped for.
His post-match media duties also brought a warm reflection on his time with the Hoops.
“Then Celtic came. It was beautiful. I have beautiful memories of it.
“Unfortunately, I got injured. But it was beautiful. I will never forget it.”
That injury disrupted his Celtic spell, but Čvančara has now returned to Czech football looking for regular minutes and a chance to rebuild momentum.
He also made clear he felt ready to start immediately despite his lack of competitive football.
“He asked me if I believed in it, if I was ready. I told him that I was ready. I was ready to jump.”
One assist, a win against his former club and 83 minutes on the pitch represented a useful first step after another summer move.
It was also an encouraging return to competitive action after a difficult period since leaving Celtic.
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