He passed the Tomas Repka test. And at that moment, City boss Peter Grant put the transfer wheels firmly in motion.
For as 24-year-old David Strihavka was officially unveiled at Colney this lunchtime after the 24-year-old Banik Ostrava striker became City's sixth new signing of the summer, so the City chief shed more light on how the 6ft 2in forward became Jamie Cureton's new Czech mate.
In particular, how he caught sight of Strihavka bumping into his former West Ham charge, Repka, in a 2-2 draw between Banik and Czech champions-elect Sparta Prague at the end of April.
Given Repka's combative outlook on life, it was a big test – could his big, summer strike target cope with the sort of bruising day at the office that Repka invariably doles out and is, more to the point, part and parcel of life in the English Championship.
“I know how tough Tomas is,” said Grant, after bagging his man for “an undisclosed fee” as the Canary boss tapped into all his ex-Hammers connections.
“And that's in every aspect – he's a fantastic trainer. And Ludek Miklosko, he's a friend of mine, and I spoke to Ludo about David and he thought that we wouldn't be able to get him. That other top clubs in the Czech Republic would offer too much money for us to get him.”
He didn't, he admitted, talk to Repka. “No – David speaks more English than Tomas,” said Grant, which on this morning's performance would give Repka about a handful of English words. But then it was, it seems, all about deeds, not words.
“I know how aggressive Tomas is and whatever and when I watched the game, David never shirked that challenge; plus he scores in the game and that was probably the thing that made my mind up to make the signing.”
Grant was clearly delighted, if not relieved, to have finally got his man after the last piece of paperwork was faxed back to Norfolk this morning, formalising his four-year switch to Carrow Road. The fact that a second club “who have just come into the Championship” were sniffing about at the eleventh hour merely added to the manager's sense of relief and achievement.
“We've watched David since probably when we came in last October. The staff have been over to watch him a few times; we've seen him on DVDs.
“And we thought with his quality, we wouldn't be able to get him because there was talk of a few Premiership clubs looking at him,” said Grant, with Watford even taking Strihavka on trial last January only for various “contractual things” to bar his path to Vicarage Road.
“And you also had top clubs in the Czech Republic wanting him – and I can understand why because he was their top league goal-scorer last year. And I know that Red Star Belgrade and Olympiakos wanted him as well. I know that for a fact.
“Plus he's also one that's very much being touted as being an international player – and that's very quickly. Right now. They're talking about him coming in and around the squad.
“So we thought we'd have a fight on our hands. It's been dragging out and dragging out, but we were very pleased to get David over. We showed him the training ground, the stadium. We tried to explain how many people come to the stadium and he seemed to know a little bit about it – and that was important.
“For David had taken it upon himself to check us out; he seemed excited when he came over and he couldn't get here quick enough.”
“He's taken part today on the football side of it and I think the boys could see in the short period of time that he trained this morning the qualities that he has. And – yet again – he gives us something different from what we already have in the group.”
“He's technically very good – and you can see the size of him. He's six-foot two; he's quick; he likes scoring goals. And we're very, very pleased to have him here.”
The player himself struggled with his English – either that, or it was a case of first night nerves.
“Of course I am pleased to be here – it's a nice city,” said Strihavka, with Ostrava – tucked away in the north-eastern corner of the Czech Republic – being famed for its steel industry and mining college. Not exactly cathedrals and Broads.
“It's a nice training ground and I'm looking forward to starting the season.”
The assumption is, of course, that he acts as the big-man foil to Jamie Cureton's little man poacher. That, insisted Grant, would be to do the boy a disservice. He can now mix and match his strike options like never before.
“I've got Huckerby here; I've got Dion Dublin; I've got Chrissy Martin; Chrissy Brown. I just think we've got a bigger mixture now. Last year it was Earnie (Robert Earnshaw) and anybody else.
“Now David can play with Dion Dublin; he can play with Jamie Cureton; he can play with Darren Huckerby.
“I think next year we can play any pair out of that and it will still give us something different.”
He is not the traditional battering ram. “He's quick and he likes to go beyond defenders. People look at his height and say: 'Oh, he's a target man…' but I wouldn't say he was a target man. He links the play well, but if you'd say is he a Dion Dublin type player, then I'd say 'No!'.
Grant will see how he settles in over the next couple of days before deciding whether he makes his first appearance in a Canary shirt at Exeter City on Saturday. At which point we will all get to work out just what sort of player David Strihavka is.
For now, however, simply just being Norwich's player is good enough. That's all that concerned Grant.
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