Morávek not yet ready for Rosický role

Jan Morávek told UEFA.com he has fine-tuned his skills in the Bundesliga this season, but the stylish Czech Republic midfielder believes he still does not merit comparison with his boyhood hero, Tomáš Rosický.

The 21-year-old's peerless close control and ability to turn games with a moment of inspiration have had the Czech media hailing his emergence as the next in a long line of technically gifted playmakers. Morávek, however, says it is much too early to draw parallels between himself and the man he is expected to succeed as the Czechs' creator-in-chief, Rosický.

"It's nice people say that, but it also puts pressure on me," said Morávek, who is nine years the Arsenal FC midfielder's junior. "I played with Tomáš for the senior national team and there is only one Tomáš. I can only promise that I will work hard so I can get at least close to his qualities. I hope he can play regularly at Arsenal and stay clear of injury. For me, he is a genius of a football player and my idol."

While Morávek feels he is still some way off being able to assume Rosický's mantle, the youngster has – like his compatriot before him – taken on a new stature thanks to his performances in Germany. Loaned to 1. FC Kaiserslautern by FC Schalke 04 last summer, Morávek established himself as a first-team regular, making 29 league appearances to help Marco Kurz's side claim a surprise seventh-placed finish in their first campaign back in the top flight.

"I really wanted to play in the Bundesliga regularly, get used to it and improve," said the former Bohemians 1905 man, who is expected to rejoin Schalke for pre-season training next month. "It lived up to my expectations. I really did play regularly. It was good to get used to the league, the pace of it and playing against players like [Arjen] Robben, [Franck] Ribéry and [Nuri] Şahin. I think I improved and I really enjoyed it. It was a fantastic experience."

That know-how will serve Morávek and his country well against England on Sunday as the Czechs look to bounce back from their 2-0 defeat by Spain and get the victory that will ensure their place in the last four. "We mustn't really worry about the match against Spain. It would be a pity if it dragged us down mentally and influenced the England fixture – that would be pointless," said Morávek.

"I think England's game definitely suits us more. We saw that Spain were all very good technically, they moved the ball around quickly, it caused us a lot of trouble. We were not able to keep up – they were always one step ahead. England won't have players like that. England's game is much more physical, they will definitely rely especially on [Daniel] Sturridge and [Danny] Welbeck up front, who are aggressive rather than technical. I think that is better for us."