# Ludek Miklosko, the gentle giant West Ham kept singing for > The Czech goalkeeper who broke Manchester United's hearts in 1995 has died at 64, and the club he loved is singing his name again. - Title: Ludek Miklosko, the gentle giant West Ham kept singing for - Summary: The Czech goalkeeper who broke Manchester United's hearts in 1995 has died at 64, and the club he loved is singing his name again. Miklosko gave West Ham 373… - Keywords: football, west ham, goalkeepers, obituary, premier league, news, entertainment, Ludek, Miklosko, gentle, giant, West - Source: Dailymail — https://dailymail.com/sport/football/article-16129301/west-ham-ludek-miklosko-dead.html?ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490&ns_mchannel=rss - Published: 2026-09-14T07:23:08+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: football, west ham, goalkeepers, obituary, premier league, news, entertainment ## West Ham lose Ludo Ludek Miklosko has died at 64 after a long illness. The club called him a cult hero and a gentle giant, and the tributes started arriving within hours. ## 126 clean sheets Across eight years in the West Ham goal he kept 126 clean sheets. For a club that rarely had money for defenders, that number did a lot of heavy lifting. ## The night he denied United His signature afternoon came in 1995, a run of saves that kept Manchester United out and cost them the title. Hammers fans have replayed it ever since. ## A £300,000 bargain West Ham signed him from Banik Ostrava for £300,000. Eight seasons and hundreds of games later, it looked like one of the cheapest good decisions the club ever made. ## He came back to coach Playing career done, Miklosko returned to West Ham as goalkeeper coach. He spent years passing on what he knew to the keepers who followed him. ## The song never stopped Long after he stopped playing, supporters kept singing his name at matches. Few players at any club hold a terrace that long after retiring. ## Silence before training West Ham's squad stood for a moment of silence before training on Monday, the day the news broke. ## Tribute against Fulham The club will honour him before Wednesday's Carabao Cup third round tie with Fulham, the first home crowd to gather since his death. ## QPR will mark it too A second tribute is planned for next month's Championship fixture against Queens Park Rangers, the club where he spent the last three years of his playing career. ## The club's words West Ham's statement on Monday was short and direct, and it used the phrase the fans had used for decades. > Rest in peace Ludek, our beloved, inspirational goalkeeper and gentle giant of a man ## 373 games in claret He made 373 appearances for West Ham before moving to QPR, a total that puts him among the club's most-used goalkeepers. ## 42 caps and Italia 90 Miklosko won 42 international caps and played for Czechoslovakia at the 1990 World Cup, a tournament that carried a country that no longer exists. ## Diagnosed in 2021 His cancer was diagnosed in 2021. He kept going through treatment for years while the club and its supporters followed every update. ## He chose to stop treatment Three years after the diagnosis he announced he was withdrawing from further treatment. He made the decision publicly, on his own terms. ## His son broke the news Martin Miklosko announced his father's death on behalf of the family, thanking everyone who had sent messages during the illness. > We are heartbroken to announce the passing of my Dad Ludek, following a brave and courageous battle with cancer. ## Messages that carried him The family said the notes from old team-mates and supporters were a real comfort, not just a nice gesture. > gave him the strength to not give up and keep fighting for as long as he could ## No longer suffering Alongside the grief, his son said the family takes comfort in knowing the fight is over and his father is at peace. > he is now at peace and no longer suffering ## The club was family Martin described West Ham and its supporters as part of the Miklosko family, not a former employer his dad happened to play for. > The club, and its fans, were and always will be a part of our family ## What he loved most The line that says everything about why the songs mattered so much to him, and why they will be sung again on Wednesday night. > Dad simply loved West Ham United, and especially hearing his name sung loud and proud at every game. ## Key takeaway Miklosko gave West Ham 373 games and 126 clean sheets, but the reason fans sang his name for 30 years was the man behind the gloves.