A tower of strength for Turkish club Beşiktaş JK over the past four years, Tomáš Sivok has also become an in increasingly influential figure for his country, the Czech Republic. An unused squad member at UEFA EURO 2008, when he was included as a midfielder, he can expect full involvement at the 2012 tournament.

• Relegated and promoted with his first club, SK Dynamo České Budějovice, before joining Sparta in 2002, he had half a season back on loan at České Budějovice before returning to the capital outfit in early 2004 and making his UEFA Champions League debut in the first knockout round against AC Milan.

• A Czech champion in 2004/05, making 25 league starts, he was appointed Sparta captain at the start of the following season; won his first international cap in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Romania but was ruled out for six months after injuring a knee in a UEFA Champions League encounter versus AFC Ajax.

• Returned to win the Czech Cup with Sparta, scoring a penalty in the 2006 final shoot-out against holders FC Baník Ostrava, and helped lay the foundation for another 1. Liga title in 2006/07 before leaving for Udinese Calcio in mid-term; a year later he was back on loan at Sparta after struggling to adapt to life in Italy.

• Joined Beşiktaş in summer 2008 and won the Turkish domestic double in his debut campaign, making 29 Süper Lig appearances and scoring two goals; started five UEFA Champions League group games the following season and was a Turkish Cup winner again in 2011.

• After several years of intermittent international selection, he became a fixture in Michal Bílek's side in 2011/12 and scored a vital goal in the first leg of the Czech Republic's UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying play-off against Montenegro.