We are counting down what seems to be the final hours of Petr Čech’s Chelsea FC playing career. Rumors and papers suggest that he’ll be staying in London, they suggest that he’ll be playing for Arsenal for the next couple of seasons – thus making a rival a true title-contender. This is a sad rumor, which I suspect to be true, but in the end we have to respect his decision. For this isn’t him saying he’d rather play at Arsenal. No, this is him saying he’d rather play than be on the bench.
And you have to respect that, even if he’ll be at Arsenal for the foreseeable future. I always say that Frank Lampard made me a football/soccer fan – even a Chelsea fan – and today I want to tell you what Petr Čech always meant to me. I want to tell you what he will always mean to me.
I was never good at playing soccer, really. I wasn’t fast, my height didn’t help me in scoring headers – or even defending. I needed something to be good at, though. I started to play goalkeeper, and it was the most fun I had ever had in sports. I wasn’t really good, or I probably wouldn’t be a blogger right now, but I was decent for the level I played at.
Petr Čech became my idol at the goalkeeping position. He is calm, collected, and extremely talented. And I’ve always said that there has been no more brave ‘keeper than Petr Čech. I remember his big injury, and I expected him to quit the sport. But he didn’t. He went back out on the pitch, and I believe, somehow, he became a better goalkeeper. To me, he’ll always be one of the greatest at that position.
I wasn’t on board with my club’s decision to bench him last season. Don’t get me wrong, I like Thibaut Courtois – but I never thought he deserved to play instead of Čech. Čech took it like a sport, and stayed with us for the remainder of his season. We wouldn’t have won the title in 2014/2015 if it wasn’t for Petr Čech being the best backup in the world. And he is most definitely the unsung hero of the UEFA Champions League Final in 2012.
I rank Petr Čech as one of the best ever Chelsea FC players. He is at the level of Lampard, Terry, Drogba, Zola. Petr Čech is, and will always be, a Chelsea FC legend. Say what you will about his decision to sign for Arsenal, but he has been an upstanding person and player ever since he signed with us.
Statistically, he is our best ever goalkeeper – and thus I hope all Chelsea fans will thank him, wish him the best. He’ll always be special. He’ll always be a Chelsea legend.
Thank you for everything, Petr Čech
Chelsea FC Honors:
- 4x English Premier League Champion (04-05; 05-06; 09-10; 14-15)
- 4x English FA Cup Champion (06-07; 08-09; 09-10; 11-12)
- 3x English Football League Cup Champion (04-05; 06-07; 14-15)
- 2x English FA Community Shield Champion (2005; 2009)
- 1x UEFA Champions League Champion (11-12)
- 1x UEFA Europa League Champion (12-13)
I’m Jeffrey Rex
I'm Jeffrey Rex 