Newcastle’s £25.7m keeper Hornicek was wrestling carp while negotiating deal and vows to bring ‘sexy’ back to St James’

HE’S Horni, Horni the new Geordie. Fellow Czech goalie Pavel Srnicek achieved legendary status as part of Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers. Lukas Hornicek has been in Newcastle training at La Manga Club Credit: Getty Pavel Srnicek was a fan favourite at Newcastle Credit: Action Images – Reuters And £25.7m Lukas Hornicek, who also follows in the footsteps of compatriot Martin Dubravka by donning the gloves at St. James’, wants to bring “sexy football” back to Newcastle. Speaking to SunSport at the plush Hotel Grand Hyatt La Manga Club at Toon’s Spanish training camp, he said: “For sure, Pavel Srnicek made the first steps for me to be here in Newcastle, right? People in Newcastle know the Czech goalkeepers and they probably like them. So, this is also good. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! “Yeah, I would like to bring the sexy football by winning the games and by making the fans happy.” Hornicek, whose ‘Horni’ nickname from his old club will certainly stick with him, joined Newcastle from Portuguese club SC Braga on Monday. Hornicek signed for the Toon from Braga on Monday Credit: Getty The highly-rated goalie joined in a £25.7m deal Credit: Getty The strapping 6ft 6in 24-year-old will debut for the Mags in Saturday night’s friendly against Valencia at the Mestalla – new boss Matthias Jaissle’s first game in charge. Some supporters may even be fearing Hornicek looking like a fish out of water. Though he is more used to pulling them out himself. In fact, he was even wrestling a carp as he fell hook, line and sinker for Newcastle during his very first phone call with Toon’s sporting director Ross Wilson. Hornicek said: “It’s a funny story. I was fishing for two days in Portugal, because my girlfriend and daughter went to the Czech Republic for one of her exams. So, I was there alone and was like, ‘Okay, let’s go fishing’ to get my mind off of everything that was happening. Most read in Football BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Hornicek poses for a snap with his girlfriend Aneta Credit: Instagram / @anet_spilkova “Then my agent called me and said, ‘Hey, there will be a call from Newcastle,’ so I picked it up and I was fishing at that moment. “For 30 minutes of call everything goes smoothly, and then from nowhere, I got a [makes swishing sound] hit on my rod. Then, for another 20 minutes, I was fighting the carp as they kept talking to me. It was a funny moment.” The North East’s three big rivers – Tyne, Wear and Tees – are famed for their salmon, trout and pike. Though you will not find the recent arrival hunting the predators down river banks. He much prefers to kick back by a lake. He revealed: “Pike fishing is too much! You are reeling in and you need to find the fish. This is too demanding for me as a footballer. “We are just exhausted, you know, after the [training] session. Carp fishing, you just throw it out, sit down, enjoy the view, and you just relax yourself.” Hornicek will be desperate to ensure he will be Catch of the Day by keeping a clean sheet in the Prem opener against Liverpool on Sunday 23 August. Hornicek is father to a young daughter Credit: Instagram / @l_hornicek91 The family man is Toon’s new No1 Credit: Instagram / @l_hornicek91 The spotlight of playing in the big time and moving to a whole new country also provide other obstacles. But Hornicek left home for Portugal as a 17-year-old after being spotted by Braga playing at Pardubice and soon settled. And the infectiously fun star has already netted two beauties off the pitch in long-term girlfriend Aneta Spilkova and adorable nine-month old daughter Mikela ‘Ella’ Marie. He added: “She’s [baby] really sunshine, always so smiley. She would be smiling at all of you, dancing. She loves the song from the 2026 World Cup, the Shakira one. She’s always dancing and she’s really good. “For sure, that [fatherhood] made me more mature. Before, I still had a girlfriend, of course, but she doesn’t make you more of a grown-up man. “But when you get the baby, then you’re like, ‘Okay, now it’s serious’. You need to start thinking about your family. So, in these terms, I’m more evolved, like how are we spending money and thinking much more about the future.” For Newcastle, the future is now. A new manager and five exciting new additions to a squad that has lost stars Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon. Hornicek added: “I don’t think too much about it. Even though those players left, we have a great team.” Fatherhood has made Hornicek ‘more mature’ Credit: Instagram / @l_hornicek91 The St James’ Park new boy is determined to hit the ground running in the North East Credit: Instagram / @anet_spilkova Comment now