New Goalkeeper Krisztián Hegyi

“We had been planning to bring in a goalkeeper during this transfer window for quite some time, which gave us enough time to assess several options. Out of all the candidates we identified, we chose Krisztián because he is a goalkeeper with excellent physical attributes. He positions himself well, has strong reflexes on the goal line and deals effectively with crosses. At the same time, he is comfortable building up play from the back, while his ability to organize and communicate with the defence are among his key strengths,” says Tomáš Rosický, sporting director of AC Sparta Praha.

Although Krisztián was born in Budapest, he took his first footballing steps in Szombathely, playing for Lurkó UFC and Szombathelyi Haladás. At the age of just 16, he answered the call from England and signed for West Ham United. From April 2019 onwards, he developed within the Hammers’ academy system.

During the 2022/23 season, manager David Moyes regularly included him in the first-team squad. Hegyi was named on the bench for several Premier League and UEFA Europa Conference League matches while serving as the first-choice goalkeeper for West Ham’s U21 side. In the Premier League International Cup, he even faced Sparta’s youth team, with Patrik Vydra scoring the only goal in a 1:0 victory for the Czech side.

The time then came for a new challenge. Krisztián first joined Stevenage, newly promoted to League One at the time. However, in search of more playing time, he moved to FC Den Bosch in the Dutch second division in January 2024. A similar situation followed the next season, when he swapped Motherwell for Hungarian side Debrecen. Unfortunately, a thigh injury midway through the spring campaign forced him to return to London earlier than expected.

That stay lasted only six months, as he headed back to his homeland in January to join MTK Budapest. There, he teamed up with his current Sparta colleague, centre-back Viktor Vitályos. Hegyi established himself as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper throughout the spring and recorded three clean sheets for the side that finished tenth in Hungary’s top flight.

Let’s also look at his international career. The 23-year-old goalkeeper has represented Hungary at youth level since the age of 16. Between 2021 and 2024, Hegyi was the first-choice goalkeeper for Hungary’s U21 national team, although the side was unable to qualify for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship during that period. Along the way, he shared the dressing room with players such as Milos Kerkez and Sigma Olomouc midfielder Péter Baráth.