As Sunday’s enthralling Wimbledon men's singles final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz is being shown on the TV at West Ham United’s Germany pre-season training camp base, Tomáš Souček sits down on a leather sofa, exhales and smiles widely with his eyes glued to the screen.
A huge tennis fan, Souček is enjoying some well-deserved downtime following an intense training session, and after Sinner takes an epic third set 6-4, he invites me to sit down next to him before we assess his leadership role within the West Ham squad and how he is embracing his behind-the-scenes responsibilities as one of the more experienced heads.
Souček may only be 30 years old, but he is one of the more storied individuals within the current squad, and is one of the Club’s longest-serving players.
He is one of the leaders in Head Coach Graham Potter’s squad, having captained the team on four occasions in the Premier League last season, while our No28 is also the skipper of Ivan Hašek's Czechia national side.
The privilege of leadership brings plenty of responsibilities. For Souček, however, it is a part of the job that comes naturally. Used to being the focal point of his team from a very young age, having also captained SK Slavia Prague, he relishes the role of leader whenever he steps on to the pitch.
Approaching the start of his sixth full season in east London, Souček has almost surpassed 250 appearances for the Hammers, and his easy-going nature and sunny personality have made him a popular figure at London Stadium and Rush Green.
His experience is influential on several of our young players, and from Ollie Scarles and Freddie Potts at one end of the scale to Academy of Football youngsters such as 17-year-olds Airidas Golambeckis and Emeka Adiele, Souček is keen to ensure he continues to make a positive impact across every area of the Club going forward.