There is only one ... Pavel Nedvěd | OneFootball

Fate and good timing played a huge part in the career of Pavel Nedvěd.

Gifted with supreme natural talent, his beginnings were far more difficult and complicated than most. He was forced to fight oppression just for the chance of a chance in the game.

As a youngster on the cusp on making a living out of professional football, Nedvěd faced a hurdle in his homeland of Czechoslovakia. However, the law dictated no players under the age of 32 were allowed to leave the country for foreign clubs.

Born in Cheb in 1972, he moved to Prague as a teen and played for Dukla, a club run by the army, while completing his military service in 1989.

That same year, the Berlin Wall was toppled and communism ended. Around the same time, Nedvěd joined non-violent demonstrations to force change.

He (and the rest) won, a victory far bigger than any football match. The old rules were dismissed and Nedvěd was free.

“It was the right moment for me, perfect for my career.”

First stop: Munich? Barcelona? London? No. Airdrie. In Scotland.

A fresh faced Nedvěd made his European debut for Sparta Prague against Airdrieonians in the Cup Winners’ Cup.

After four years with Sparta, three red cards in his first six games and 23 goals in 97 matches, he was all set to represent the newly-formed Czech Republic at Euro 96.

Still slight and with a neat trim, way before he grew his famous long blond locks, he shined against Italy as he helped guide his nation to the semi-final of the tournament.

And although he suffered heartache at the last hurdle, as Germany scored a late golden goal at Wembley, he had caught the eye.

Gliding across the turf, able to play the ball at any range and turn on any angle with both feet, this young Czech had it all and so Lazio, in the heady days and very height of Serie A dominance, parted with €1.2m to snap him up after his star performance against the Azzurri.

Boasting an incredible engine and an abundance of creative guile, he became a vital midfield part of the team after his first campaign.

It wasn’t all plain sailing though. He was fearful of making the move at first.

“Back then I considered the Italian field too tough,” he recalled in an interview with the Financial Times. “I was 23 and had never been abroad. Italy’s championship was too hard . . . it seemed too much for me,”

With fears allayed, he helped Lazio enjoyed a trophy-laden spell, winning the Serie A and Coppa Italia double at the turn of the century and also appearing in the Champions League.

Such was his importance, Nedvěd was among the top ten highest paid players in Serie A at the time, sharing top billing with the likes of Ronaldo and Gabriel Batistuta.

However, at the height of their success, Lazio sought to cash in on their prized assets which saw Verón earn a mega move to the Premier League with Manchester United.

For Nedvěd, there was great interest, with admiration from one club tinged with a need for revenge.

Soon after, he arrived as Zinedine Zidane’s replacement at the Stadio Delle Alpi for a whopping €41m.

It proved to be a bargain.

Despite only finding the net four times in his maiden campaign, his goals proved to be crucial as Juventus scooped the title on the final day of the season.

After helping guide Juventus to the Champions League final in 2003, he missed the showpiece against Milan through suspension; the fact the Bianconeri lost on penalties after a goalless 120-minutes says it all.

Such was his massive contribution that year, Nedvěd claimed the Ballon d’Or ahead of the free-scoring, insatiable talent of Thierry Henry. It was fully deserved.

Creating a strong bond with the Turin giants, he proved his love and affection for the club when Juventus were demoted to Serie B due to the Calciopoli scandal, by staying with the club.

Even in the second tier, Nedvěd continued his ascent as one of Europe’s great players. With his striking blond locks and boundless, marauding gallops, he always stood out.

Possessing incredibly technique with predominantly his favoured left foot, he could delicately pass a ball out to the wing, keep hold of it as a vital ball-carrier and boy, could he shoot. Nedvěd boasted such power that he could rocket the ball into the back of the net from absolutely any distance. Bend, dip, like a bullet, he had it all.

That goal against Ajax in the Champions League in 2004 summed it all up.

Fittingly, his last hurrah came in 2009 against Lazio, a fanbase whose hearts had been broken by his departure eight years previously.

The midfielder captained Juventus and recorded yet another assist in a 2-0 victory.

Substituted with a minute to go in order to receive the full adulation of the home crowd, Nedvěd received a standing ovation from the entire stadium as Lazio and Juventus supporters joined together to celebrate one of their finest ever players.

“I love to feel the passion around me, and that comes from the supporters,” he once said. “I will never find people like the Italians … there is this spontaneity, this living life with a smile, to its fullest.”

“Football would be nothing without the fans.”

Serie A highlight reels would be nothing without Pavel Nedvěd.

There was nobody like him and nor will there ever be.