Petr Cech To Retire At The End Of The Season
By Max Wise
Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has announced he will retire from football at the end of the season.
The 36-year-old former Czech Republic international is widely regarded as one of the best ever goalkeepers in the history of the Premier League.
Petr Cech joined the English game when he moved to Chelsea from French side Rennes in the summer of 2004 after helping Czech Republic to the semi-finals of the European Championship.
Cech won 13 major honours during his time at Chelsea including four Premier League titles and the 2012 UEFA Champions League.
Cech has also won the Premier League Golden Glove -awarded to the goalkeeper with most clean sheets- four times, and has appeared in the PFA Team of the Year twice.
Cech’s career appeared to be on the edge when a collision with Reading striker, Stephen Hunt, in a Premier League game in October 2006, left him requiring surgery on a fractured skull, and he has worn a protective headgear ever since.
"Having played 15 years in the Premier League and won every single trophy possible, I feel like I have achieved everything I set out to achieve," said the ex-Czech Republic international.
"I will continue to work hard at Arsenal to hopefully win one more trophy this season."
He added: "This is my 20th season as a professional player and it has been 20 years since I signed my first professional contract, so it feels like the right time to announce that I will retire.
"I am looking forward to seeing what life holds for me off the pitch."
Cech began the season as Arsenal’s first choice goalkeeper, however, a hamstring injury sustained in September saw summer acquisition Bernd Leno take his place between the sticks.
Cech has been unable to dislodge Leno as Arsenal’s number one goalkeeper following his return from injury, and his current contract was due to expire at the end of the season.
Cech, who holds the record for the goalkeeper with most Premier League clean sheets, joined Arsenal from Chelsea in the summer of 2015 and has won one FA Cup in his time at the club.
