David Střihavka

David Střihavka
Personal information
Full name	David Střihavka
Date of birth	4 March 1983 (age 39)
Place of birth	Prague, Czechoslovakia
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Club information
Current team	Slavia Prague (U15 head coach)
Youth career
1989–1990	Junior Praha
1990–2000	Bohemians 1905
2000–2001	Sparta Prague
Senior career*
Years	Team
2001–2003	FK Jablonec
2003–2004	Bohemians Prague
2004	Sparta Prague
2005	Chmel Blšany
2005–2007	Baník Ostrava
2007	Norwich City
2008	Slavia Prague
2008–2009	Baník Ostrava
2010–2011	Viktoria Plzeň
2011	→ Willem II Tilburg (loan)
2011–2012	MŠK Žilina
2012	→ Tatran Prešov (loan)
2012–2013	1. FK Příbram
2013–2014	Al-Ahed
2014	Banská Bystrica
2015	Racing Beirut
2015	Caratese
National team
1998–1999
1999–2000	Czech Republic U-16
2001	Czech Republic U-17
2001–2002	Czech Republic U-19
Teams managed
	Bohemians 1905 (U18)
0000–2019	Slavia Prague (U19 assistant)
2019–2020	Slavia Prague B (assistant)
2020–	Slavia Prague (U15)
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

David Střihavka (born 4 March 1983) is a retired Czech footballer and current head coach of SK Slavia Prague's U15 team.

Strihavka had moved from Banik Ostrava to Norwich City in July 2007 and was the first Czech player to play for the club. Norwich terminated his contract on 11 January 2008. In June 2011 he joined to MŠK Žilina.

Club career[]

In the Czech Republic[]

Střihavka has played for many sides in his native country, including Bohemians Prague, Sparta Prague, FK Jablonec, Chmel Blšany and Banik Ostrava.

His career failed to get off the ground in the First Division and first made an impact in the Second Division with Bohemians Prague. This earned him a move to Sparta where he played in the 2004–05 Champions League with them.

Norwich City[]

On 11 July 2007 it was confirmed that Strihavka had signed for Norwich City for an undisclosed fee, thought to be around €1m, on a four-year deal at a press conference at the team's Colney Training ground.^[1] The young Czech forward made his first appearance for Norwich on Saturday 14 July 2007, in a friendly match away at Exeter City, with the home team winning 2–1. Strihavka scored his first goal for Norwich City on Wednesday 25 July 2007, in a friendly match in the Netherlands against FC Zwolle, a game which the Canaries went on to lose 2–1.

Střihavka's first competitive goal came in Norwich's 1–0 win against Crystal Palace at Carrow Road on 15 September 2007, as he headed in a flick-on from Dion Dublin. He was booked for over-celebrating, as he jumped into the crowd. Strihavka was unable to add to his solitary goal for the club and failed to settle and establish himself in English football.^[2] He is contract was terminated on 11 January 2008.^[2]

After leaving Norwich, Strihavka joined Czech league leaders Slavia Prague. His first game for them was in the UEFA Cup against Tottenham Hotspur, in which he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–2 defeat.^[3]

1. FC Tatran Prešov[]

He has joined 1. FC Tatran Prešov in February 2012 on a half-year loan from MŠK Žilina.

International career[]

Střihavka was part of the Czech Republic Under-16s that took part in UEFA Under-16 Championship in Israel in 2000, in which they were defeated by Portugal. Two years later in 2002, Střihavka played in the UEFA Under-19 Championship and scored twice against Andorra. He has not been selected for the senior Czech squad.

Coaching career[]

Retiring due to a brain tumor at the end of 2015, Střihavka began his coaching at his former youth club, Bohemians 1905, where his little son also played. He then had a short spell at FK Meteor Prague VIII, before returning to Bohemians to coach the club's U18s.^[4]

After working with SK Slavia Prague's U19 team, he was promoted to assistant coach for the club's B-team in February 2019.^[5] In June 2020 it was confirmed, that he would be the head coach of Slavias' U15s for the new season.^[6]