Player #861 for Aston Villa, Libor Kozák played as a centre forward for the in Villa’s 2013-14 and 2015-16 Premier League campaigns, with the latter ending in Villa’s first relegation from the top tier in nearly 30 years. Kozák also appeared in Villa’s Football League Championship season in 2016-17. Libor made 22 appearances and scored 4 goals for the club.

Libor was born in Brumov-Bylnice, Czech Republic on 30 May 1989.

Paul Lambert had signed Kozák from SS Lazio for £5,850,000 on 2 September 2013 and Villa acquired a player of genuine quality whose time at the club was ruined by injuries. That he had an injury blighted history had not stopped Lambert signing the player when more diligence may have led to an alternative decision for Villa to focus their attentions in a more reliable direction.

Kozák however made his debut appearance for Villa soon after joining aged 24 as a 67’ for Karim El Ahmadi in the 1-2 Premier League home defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday, 14 September 2013 aged 24.

Kozák made his second appearance from the subs bench in the following game, replacing the injured Christian Benteke on 28’ and going on to score Villa’s winner in the 1-0 victory at Norwich City on Saturday, 21 September 2013 - his first of four goals for the club over the next three seasons.

Following his goal, Kozák was given an extended run in the team by Paul Lambert, mostly as cover for the injured Christian Benteke. Kozák made 9 starts in 16 games and 4 substitute appearances and during that time Kozák would score his final three goals for the club - hitting the second goal in Villa’s 2-0 win over Cardiff City on Saturday, 9 November 2013, the second goal in Villa’s 3-2 win at Southampton on Wednesday, 4 December 2013 and a consolation in Villa’s 1-2 defeat at Stoke City on Saturday, 21 December 2013. All four of Kozák’s goals had come in the Premier League in a run of 11 games.

Taken in isolation Kozák’s 4 goals in 11 games suggested Villa had a worthy alternative to the free scoring Christian Benteke of the previous campaign however the first of many injuries struck and Kozák was ruled out for the remainder of the 2013-14 season from New Years Day 2014 having made his last appearance of the campaign on Saturday, 28 December 2013.

Kozák spent the entire 2014-15 season on the sidelines unable to take part in a campaign that saw Paul Lambert sacked and his successor Tim Sherwood save Villa from relegation and steer them to the 2015 FA Cup Final.

Kozák returned to fitness for 2015-16 and was named in Sherwood’s second squad of the season as an unused substitute before making his first appearance in nearly two years as a 72’ substitute for Jordan Ayew in Villa’s League Cup 2nd Round win over Notts County.

Kozák would make one more unused substitute appearance in the following game before Sherwood’s sacking. After disappearing from first team view following Rémi Garde’s arrival as Sherwood’s successor, Kozák was recalled to the squad for a six game spell between Saturday, 2 January 2016 and Saturday, 23 January 2016, making 3 starts and one substitute appearance.

Kozák’s 76’ substitute appearance for Alan Hutton in Villa’s 1-3 defeat against Sunderland was Kozák’s first league appearance in over two years and across his spell in the squad under Rémi Garde the big Czech striker failed to score or create a goal for this most insipid of Villa sides who had already surrendered to inevitable relegation.

True to form, by the end of the spell, Kozák was injured and missed the remainder of the 2015-16 as Villa’s relegation was confirmed, Rémi Garde departed and Villa faced a period in the second tier for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Kozák began life with Villa in the Football League Championship out of the reckoning for new Villa boss Roberto Di Matteo’s squad selection but following a troubled start, and after Villa had showed that they were struggling to adapt to life in the second tier, Kozák was named in two consecutive Championship squads on Saturday, 20 August 2016 and Saturday, 27 August 2016 arriving as a 28’ substitute for the injured Rudy Gestede in his first game of the season only to suffer the ignominy of himself being substituted in 83’ as Villa struggled to a 0-0 draw at Derby County.

For his second, and final appearance, of the season, and his Villa career, Kozák made his entrance as a 70’ substitute for Ritchie De Laet in Villa’s chastening 1-3 defeat at Bristol City.

Kozák made his final squad appearance for Villa on Saturday, 17 September 2016 but remained an unused substitute as both his, and shortly after, Roberto Di Matteo’s Villa careers ended with a whimper.

Kozák moved on to SSC Bari in August 2017 on a free transfer aged 28.

Kozák had played under Paul Lambert, Tim Sherwood, Rémi Garde and Roberto Di Matteo.