One To Watch: Pavel Šulc
Pavel Šulc's arrival in Lyon this summer was hardly greeted with fanfare, but the Czech winger has become one of Les Gones' key attackers -- learn more about his story in our latest One to Watch.
Slow but steady development
While our One to Watch series is often focused around younger players in Ligue 1 McDonald's, it's also well-used as a conduit to share a more complete picture of any unheralded talent within the league, no matter their age. Building on our recent piece on Lens' Matthieu Udol, this latest edition sees us focusing on a player who is a veteran by any definition just ahead of his 26th birthday, but also one who had seized the chance afforded him in a bigger league with both hands.
That player -- Pavel Šulc -- has been in torrid form of late with four goals and three assists in his last six matches, capping a fine 2025 for both he and his club. Born in the northwest of Czechia in the small city of Karlovy Vary, he caught the eye of Viktoria Plzeň, joining the club and then spending several seasons on loan. By 2023/24, he had become a first team regular, and concluded last season having helped his side to the Europa League Round of 16 and the honor of the league's best player.
🦁 11 G/A in 20 matches with OL
🦁 4 G/A in the #UEL
Pavel Šulc. What a Šigning. 🇨🇿 pic.twitter.com/7NFgkd3s5q— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) December 11, 2025
Hitting form for Lyon
At 25, Šulc was clearly in his prime, and when the chance to join Lyon this summer emerged, he leapt at it, signing a four-year contract knowing that the opportunity created by the departures of Rayan Cherki and Thiago Almada would allow him to prove himself. Most often used as a traditional number ten in Czechia, he has impressed at Lyon with his versatility, playing across the forward line while still being able to contribute in terms of goals.
Indeed, no player has more than his nine on the season, and with Lyon in fifth place in Ligue 1 McDonald's and top of the Europa League, despite a mass exodus this summer, the form of the multifaceted Czechia international has been vital, especially with Malick Fofana a long-term absentee through injury. Sulc showed flashes of his talent with a vital goal against Marseille early in the season, but stuttered through September before sparking to life of late.
Used as a swashbuckling attacking midfielder in Czechia, he's been asked to do more in Lyon, and it's likely that his playing a more complete role necessarily affected his attacking output, but that change no doubt helped him refocus on the club's goals rather than his own statistics, as he mentioned earlier this season, saying, Of course, I want to score goals, but the most important thing for me is to win with the team. I came here to win, and if I score, that's great, but the important thing is that the team wins." Now it seems that he's had the best of both worlds and is well-positioned to help Lyon keep climbing the table.
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