“I thought about studying film, but football always won,” Votikova says
TOTTENHAM’s Bára Votikova admits a career in filmmaking is on her ‘bucket list’ when she eventually hangs up her boots.
And the goalkeeper, a YouTube star in her native Czech Republic, hopes to help Spurs stun Arsenal again in the North London derby of the Women’s Super League.
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Votikova, whose senior club career began with Czech side Viktoria Plzen in 2013, was one of the standout players in Tottenham’s defeat to the Gunners last December.
But the 27-year-old WSL ace, who shut out her rivals, could have saved filming had her football career not taken off.
She told SunSport: “In the Czech Republic it was sometimes difficult to make a living from football.
“There were times when I thought about continuing because I wanted to study filmmaking at a film school or university.
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“But in the end, football always won.
“When I was about seventeen or eighteen, I started working with a very good coach (Marek Juska), who showed me the way and turned me into a good goalkeeper.
“He was always so supportive, so I stuck with football.”
Votikova’s playing journey began when she was eight on a boys’ team in the village of Plasy in the Czech region of Pilsen.
And the Spurs ace, who looked up to Chelsea hero Petr Cech and was coached by her grandfather Vaclav during her youth, spent some of her playing days up front as a striker.
She adds: “Ever since I was a child I wanted to play in goal, even though I played one season in Plzen when I was a striker.
“I made it to the national team camps (youth level) as a striker. But then I went back to goalkeeping.
“In 2014 I moved to Prague to play for SK Slavia Prague
“That changed the way I started thinking about football and actually being able to make a career out of it because we were in the Champions League.
“When I went to Slavia it changed my career a bit.”
Last August, Votikova joined Spurs from French giants Paris Saint-Germain.
Her summer move came six months after her comeback from an anterior cruciate ligament injury that derailed her second season there.
Reflecting on her move to the club, who are sixth in the WSL, she said: “It was in the spring last year when my agent came to me.
“He told me that Tottenham had contacted me and were interested in signing me.
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“I was very happy to hear that because I wanted to try to play in the English league because I think it is the best league in the world now.
“I was very happy that an English team had contacted me.
“But a few years ago I also had discussions with Tottenham.
“Five years ago we had a conversation and now that circle has been closed.”
The player endeared herself to Spurs fans after her player-of-match substitution helped seal a 1-0 win against Arsenal.
A result that saw the team beat their neighbors in the WSL for the first time.
And Votikova will be hoping for a similar result when she faces the Gunners this lunchtime at the Emirates, where a sell-out crowd is expected at 12.30pm.
She said: “Having a clean sheet against Arsenal on my debut meant a lot to me and winning Player of the Match was crazy.
“The win was a confidence boost and showed that we are going in the right direction.
“It would mean a lot to beat them in their home stadium. But we’ll see.”
Off the field, Votikova has been an avid vlogger who has created more than 170 videos, including comedy skits.
Although she has amassed nearly a million YouTube followers thanks to her content, her career on the field has led to her spending less time making videos.
But she admits that filmmaking, acting or directing may be on the agenda in the distant future, once her acting days are behind her.
The Tottenham shot-stopper added: “Well, it’s on the bucket list.
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“Maybe after I retire I will try acting or making my own films, or writing scripts or directing, I don’t know yet.
“Or maybe I’ll just continue with my YouTube channel.
“I have a great community of people who support and follow me and I am so grateful for that.”