Legendary Premier League goalkeeper Petr Cech signs for hockey team
Petr Cech joined English lower-league ice hockey team Guildford Phoenix on Wednesday and is set to make his debut between the pipes this weekend.
"I hope I can help this young team to achieve their goals for the season and try to win as many games as possible when I have the chance to play," Cech said in the Phoenix statement.
"After 20 years of professional football, this is going to be a wonderful experience for me to play the game I loved to watch and play as a kid."
The retired Premier League goalkeeper won the Champions League, the Europa League, four Premier League titles, and eight domestic cups before calling an end to his playing career in the summer. The 37-year-old has also appeared for the Czech Republic more than any other player; he won the last of his 124 caps at Euro 2016.
Cech, who currently serves as a technical and performance advisor at Chelsea, tweeted images of himself training as a hockey goaltender in August:
.@flamesicehockey " getting ready for the season .@officialEIHL '... ...@daveartofficial helmet is pic.twitter.com/KJuUfFbkm4
- Petr Cech (@PetrCech) August 27, 2019
"The signing of Petr is massive for the Phoenix," head coach Andy Hemmings said. "He is a great guy who trains hard and I cannot wait to see him make his debut."
In August 2017, Cech appeared in a non-competitive game alongside hockey greats such as Jaromir Jagr and Zdeno Chara to celebrate the career of former NHL star Martin Havlat.
Interesting exchange for @PetrCech goalkeeper from @Arsenal as ice hockey goalkeeper. #havlat #brno #icehockey #cech pic.twitter.com/F3pp1WEC7o
- Martin Sekanina (@martinsekanina) August 9, 2017
Cech is expected to pull on his skates and don his helmet when the Phoenix face Swindon Wildcats 2 at Guildford Spectrum on Sunday.
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