Ipswich Town goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky says the best is yet to come from him and his team-mates.
A summer signing from League Two club Salford City, the Czech custodian was dropped after a slightly rocky start to life with the Blues.
He wasn’t out the team for long though. First, Christian Walton picked up a training ground hip injury following his debut in the 5-2 home loss to Bolton and then Tomas Holy had a night to forget in a Papa John’s Trophy defeat to West Ham U21s.
Hladky returned to the side and has looked far more assured during the last five league games, Paul Cook’s men claiming 10 points from a possible 15 to rise up to 14th in the League One table.
Speaking to BBC Suffolk ahead of Saturday's game at Cambridge United, Hladky said: “A lot happened very quickly. It was a big move from Manchester for us, especially with a little boy. It was a little bit rushed, but I’m settled now and I can focus fully on my performances.
“It’s a big club, a new experience for me and I was one of 19 new players. We had to get to know each other. That was always going to take time.
“At the start of the season it wasn’t a great performance from everybody.
“We’re obviously a group of new lads and it takes a little bit of time. I think the improvement is showing now and I’m pretty sure we are going to play much, much better as the games go on.”
Hladky admits he was ‘so happy’ living in Glasgow during his 18 month spell at St Mirren and was feeling settled in Manchester after a year at Salford.
Asked if he had been looking for a move, after keeping 22 clean sheets for a side that finished just outside the play-off places, the 30-year-old said: “To be absolutely honest, I wasn’t keen. But I knew the season had been a success and, having spoken to my agent, I said if an opportunity came up I would definitely consider it.
“Ipswich came in with an offer and I 100% wanted to come here because it’s a different level to Salford.
“I’m pleased I got this reward. I don’t want to say it was based on just last season. I’m pretty confident in myself and I’ve felt pretty good for the last three seasons to be fair.”
On his impending competition with Brighton loanee Walton, a player Cook worked with at Wigan and who has plenty of Championship experience, Hladky said: “It’s a big club and there will always be competition for jerseys at big clubs, including the goalies.
“You can see how many good players we’ve got across all positions and everyone wants to play. That challenges us all to be better. Hopefully it’s going to push us all to a better level. We all have to be at our best to show the manager that we deserve to play."
On his relationship with countryman Holy, he said: “He is a great person, always smiling. I’m really, really pleased to have a Czech mate in the squad. He is of the same opinion. We are happy to be together.
“We try to mix up how we speak to each other. There is a fine, just a fun one, for players who use a foreign language. So in private we talk in Czech and in the dressing room it’s English!"
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