Petr Cech may have swapped a ball for a puck for the latter years of his life but as far as the former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper is concerned, protecting his goal remains his number one priority. The Premier League icon, recognised as one of the best shot-stoppers to grace the English game, is now trying his hand at ice hockey and it appears he is just as unbeatable on the ice as he is on the football pitch following an incredible display for his local team.
The 43-year-old, who stepped down from his role as technical director with the Blues in June 2022, still lives in the UK as his family is settled from his playing days. And with no new job on the horizon just yet, he has plenty of time to enjoy his downtime – and that means getting the gloves back on for his ice hockey team Oxford City Stars.
Cech retired from football over four years ago but the Czech legend is still performing miracles in between the sticks. Having been selected as goaltender for Oxford, he made an incredible 62 saves during the match as their opponents struggled to find a way past him.
His stops proved to be vital in their clash with NIHL Division 1 South champions Streatham Red Hawks, as the hosts came away with a 3-2 victory after a bombardment at his end. After the final buzzer, his team-mates could be seen skating over to him and embracing the man of the match after a heroic display.
The 6’6 stopper is an intimidating enough presence in front of a football goal, but it seems his large frame allowed him to keep out the majority of the shots he faced – only letting in two of the 64 in total – with a save rate of 96.8 per cent.
Cech, who played for Guildford Phoenix between 2019 and 2023, has also trained joined with NHL franchise Chicago Blackhawks. He joined Oxford in July and said he was “really excited” to get going with his new club.
“I’ve heard good things about the club and looking forward to playing again with some of my ex-team-mates.” Cech told the club’s website. “It’s clear Oxford have big ambitions and I hope I can help them with those.”
The Premier League Hall of Famer first joined Chelsea in 2004 from Rennes in a £7million deal, which quickly proved to one of the best deals of the Roman Abramovich era. He won 13 major honours from the Blues, including four Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the Champions League in 2012.
He opted to sign for capital rivals Arsenal in 2013 where he made 139 appearances in all competitions. Cech announced his retirement from the game in January 2019 before hanging up his gloves at the end of the 2018-19 season.
In his 443 Premier League appearances across both London clubs, he accumulated 204 clean sheets – a record that is yet to be beaten in the top flight. Cech was also responsible for helping the west London break the record for fewest goals conceded in the 2004-05 season, having shipped only 15 goals for the entire campaign and keeping 24 clean sheets, which is also a record.
And after his remarkable 62-save performance for Oxford City, it may not be long before he starts breaking records in the
