Growing up in Poland, Jakub Stolarczyk always had plenty of goalkeepers to look up to.
His father played in the lower leagues, and it was from him that Stolarczyk first learned the joy of stopping shots. But over on these shores it was a more mercurial figure who shaped his ambition: Artur Boruc.
“I remember watching him play for Poland and practising his famous spread save in my living room,” Stolarczyk tells Sky Sports. “He had a fantastic career, and for me, as a kid, he was a huge idol. Even as I got older and watched goalkeepers like Lukasz Fabianski and Jerzy Dudek, Boruc was always the one who stuck with me.
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“I’ve met him a few times since, and he’s a lovely guy. He’s a character, but his performances always spoke for themselves.”
‘A massive honour’ – becoming Leicester No 1
Stolarczyk has enjoyed a solid start to this campaign with Leicester
His own journey has been a little different to the former Poland international. While Boruc arrived in the UK at 25, Stolarczyk has been at Leicester since the age of 16. Now, at 24, he has a real chance to establish himself as first-choice goalkeeper – following the summer departure of Mads Hermansen.
“I was never outright told I would be the number one,” he says. “It was more about the build-up and the work I was putting in toward the first game. That was when I started feeling this could be my chance to step onto the pitch and take the opportunity with both hands, which I believe I did.”
Having come through the academy and experienced several loan spells, Stolarczyk describes wearing the No 1 shirt as a “massive honour”.
“It feels special and motivates me even more this season to face the challenge and perform every game,” he says. “My only focus is competing for that spot and helping the club get back to where it belongs.”
‘I can see the impact it had on my career’ – learning from Schmeichel
Stolarczyk’s development has also been influenced by arguably Leicester’s greatest goalkeeper, as he got to train for several years alongside Kasper Schmeichel before he departed the club in 2022.
“Kasper’s career speaks for itself, both here at Leicester and now at Celtic,” he says. “Training with him in the academy and even speaking with him on some days gave me a lot of learning.
“At the time, I probably didn’t fully appreciate it, but now I can see the impact it had on my career.”
He has also learned from other top goalkeepers at the club. “From Kasper to Eldin Jakupovic and Asmir Begovic, I’ve been lucky to work with top professionals who set a great example.”
‘Why I came to England’ – making his PL debut
Stolarczyk made his debut in the Premier League at Anfield last year
Last season was undoubtedly a turbulent one for Leicester City, as they got relegated from the Premier League in dismal fashion.
But for Stolarczyk, there was a huge silver lining, as he made 10 appearances in the top flight – starting with a debut at Anfield on Boxing Day. That ended in defeat, but he was in goal for every single one of Leicester’s three victories in the second half of the season.
“It was a dream come true,” he says, of his start at Liverpool. It had been some jump from just a couple of years before, when he had been on loan at Hartlepool in League Two and Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Championship.
“I never overthought it. All the loan spells and countless hours of training had prepared me for that moment. My focus was on helping the team as much as I could.
“Playing in the Premier League is why I came to England. Even though the club was going through a difficult period, that moment was something positive for me.”
‘A sense of refreshment’ – looking forward this season
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Simeon Gholam and David Prutton look ahead to Birmingham vs Leicester on the Essential EFL podcast
Looking ahead, Stolarczyk is determined to maintain his performances and contribute to Leicester’s push to return to the Premier League.
“Individually, I want to keep playing and solidify my spot as No 1. More importantly, I want to help Leicester get back to the Premier League.
“Last season was tough, and we weren’t good enough to stay there. Now there’s a sense of refreshment, and everyone is focused on working hard, implementing the manager’s ideas, performing, and giving joy to the fans by winning games.
“Hopefully, by the end of the season, we’ll be in the position we want to be in.”