Petr Cech wins man of the match award on his ice hockey debut between the sticks for Guildford Phoenix against Swindon Wildcats.
Petr Cech has been described by many as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the Premier League and is undoubtedly a legend in London. The keeper spent 11 years with Chelsea winning virtually everything with them.
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Cech would then make his move to Arsenal after he was succeeded by Thibaut Courtois. He spent 4 more years at North London with the Gunners before calling it a day this year. He then returned to Chelsea as their technical and performance advisor.
His days as an active footballer may have come to an end. However, his career as an ice hockey player has just begun. On 9 October 2019, it was announced that Cech had signed for ice hockey side Guildford Phoenix of the National Ice Hockey League Division 2 (NIHL2) as a goaltender.
Petr Cech wins man of the match award on his ice hockey debut
Petr Cech had a dream start to his career as a semi-professional ice hockey player. Proficiency in one game does not translate into success in another. However, Cech was near unbeatable at the goal for Guildford as he made some crucial saves through the game.
With the game headed to penalty, the 37-year old proved to be the difference between winning and losing as he helped Phoenix pick up a victory with his saves. Clips of the saves during the match soon emerged on the internet.
“I wanted to win, that was the main thing, and I’m glad we did,” said Cech after his first competitive match since featuring for Arsenal in May’s Europa League final. In fact, this was his first shootout since being involved in the 2012 Champions League final with Chelsea.
“I was surprised that I wasn’t more nervous. I didn’t know what to expect so it was nice how quickly my body switched into matchday mode.”
Cech, who wore a customised helmet painted in Chelsea and Arsenal colours, said:
“It was a childhood dream for me to play even one game of ice hockey,”
“I’ve done that now and nobody can take that from me.”
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