Ex-Portsmouth title-winner and former Chelsea, Walsall and Barnsley man hoping for career lifeline from his Fratton Park skipper
A Pompey title-winner is hoping his former Fratton Park captain can throw him a career lifeline.
Much-travelled Milan Lalkovic spent last week trialling at Woking, featuring in at least one game, as he searches for a new club.
Now aged 31, the free agent has been attending the PFA’s pre-season training camp, with the innovative 10-week course aiming at getting footballers back into the game.
A number, including former Pompey striker Omar Bogle, have subsequently managed to fix themselves up with moves - and Lalkovic is hoping he can follow suit.
The left winger has reunited with Michael Doyle, manager of National League Woking, as he looks for his next playing home after spells at Chelsea, Walsall, Barnsley and, of course, Pompey over the years.
The pair were Fratton Park team-mates in 2016-17 when Paul Cook’s men won the League Two title on a memorable final day against Cheltenham.
However, Lalkovic would feature just 16 times in a campaign wrecked by injury, having arrived from Walsall on a two-year deal in June 2016.
Earmarked to challenge Kyle Bennett for the left-wing spot, the talented ex-Chelsea man started five of the Blues’ opening seven league matches, including the season opener against Carlisle.
Yet he would never start for Pompey in the league again, although did net coming off the bench in the 5-1 thumping of Barnet in September 2016, with Gary Roberts’ goal the highlight.
By January 2017, Lalkovic, at his own request, had been loaned out to Ross County for the remainder of the season for game time.
He returned in the summer of 2017, with Kenny Jackett now the manager ahead of the League One season, but a persistent Achilles injury hugely restricted him.
The winger’s contract was cancelled by mutual in January 2018 after another two appearances that season, totalling 18 goals and one goal for the club.
Lalkovic later played in the Czech top flight with Sigma Olomouc, Banik Ostrava and Dukla Pribram, and also in Greece’s second tier with Makedonikos.
There was also a short National League North spell with Boston United from November 2021, while a proposed move to Doncaster in January 2022 was scrapped following the sacking of boss Richie Wellens.
Now back in England, Lalkovic turned out in the second half of Woking’s friendly against Reading last Tuesday, which ended in a 2-0 defeat.
Although listed as a triallist and not officially named by the club, he was identified by supporters, but it’s not clear whether he featured in Saturday’s win at Salisbury.
Lalkovic started his career in his native Slovakia, before being recruited by Chelsea as a teenager, spending loan time at Doncaster, Den Haag, Guimaraes and Walsall until released in May 2014.