Pavel Sulc says he will harness his inner Wayne Rooney as the boyhood Manchester United fan attempts to inspire Viktoria Plzen to a famous Europa League victory.
Ruben Amorim’s first European road trip in charge comes in the Czech Republic as the Red Devils look to get back to winning ways after defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.
Viktoria have the same Europa League record as United, having also started with three draws before sealing wins against Real Sociedad and Dynamo Kyiv in the new-look group stage.
Midfielder Sulc has scored four goals in his last four appearances and is looking to continue that fine run of form against a club he has a soft spot for.
Wayne Rooney lifts the Europa League trophy in 2017
Wayne Rooney lifted the Europa League trophy in 2017 (Nick Potts/PA)
“I used to watch them a lot when I was younger,” he said.
“I used to really admire Wayne Rooney. I admire Wayne’s style, and he always tries to put his all in the match. I kind of try to channel his energy too, so that’s my inspiration.
“As for other players, of course I respect them. It’s impossible not to respect them. Right now I focus on my people, on myself.”
Put to Sulc that United are in poor form, he said: “Yes, they are in the bottom half of the table, but it’s still Premier League, and they have a star-filled team, so it’s still going to be a very, very difficult match.”
Sulc had a Rooney shirt as a child and says he was frustrated not to have the chance to visit Old Trafford for the first time after Viktoria were drawn against them.
The new Europa League format means the Red Devils are heading to the 11,700-capacity Doosan Arena, where Real Sociedad were beaten 2-1 last month.
“We will stick to our plan, really,” he said.
“We will play as we do in the Europa League. We will try to be unpleasant, we will run a lot, we will put a lot of pressure on the opponent.
“And as was the case with Real Sociedad, we will probably need a little bit of luck, but we are hoping that the luck will be on our side.”
The whole city of Plzen is gearing up for United’s visit, with red and blue light installations put up around the town and special edition beers produced to mark the occasion.
There are 1,212 cans for the match on December 12, with Roman Zarzycky, the mayor of Plzen, saying “the match with Manchester United is a football holiday”.
“This will definitely be a football holiday, because Manchester United is a mega club,” Sulc added.
“With our approach, we really hope our fans will help us, will support us, and that we will be able to make them happy.”