Daniel Samek (born 19 February 2004) is a Czech professional footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder for Italian Serie A club Lecce.
Club career Samek began his career at Hradec Králové, joining Slavia Prague's academy in 2018. On 3 March 2021, Samek made his debut for Slavia Prague, coming on as a 70th minute substitute in a 10–3 Czech Cup win against Slavia Karlovy Vary, becoming the youngest player in the club's history. On 23 May 2021, Samek made his league debut for Slavia Prague, starting in a 1–1 draw against Jablonec. On 22 August 2021, Samek scored his first goal for Slavia, scoring the second goal in a 4–0 win against Baník Ostrava. Samek also assisted the opening goal for Stanislav Tecl during the tie.
On 30 July 2022, Samek signed a five-year contract with Lecce in Italy.
International career Samek has represented the Czech Republic at under-15, under-16 and under-19 level.
Style of play Former Italian international Stefano Torrisi has described Samek as a "modern midfielder" who is "physically well built". Samek has been compared to Czech Republic captain Tomáš Souček and Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong as a result of his "offensive and defensive actions", "good dribbling" and "good passing technique".
Czech First League / Czechia
