Petr Čech (Czech pronunciation: [pɛtr̩ ˈtʃɛx] ; born 20 May 1982) is a Czech former professional football goalkeeper and current ice hockey goaltender who plays for the Haringey Huskies of the NIHL Division 2 South. He has been described as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, and as the greatest goalkeeper, alongside Peter Schmeichel, in Premier League history.
Čech began his senior career at Chmel Blšany in 1999, where he played sporadically for two seasons prior to relocating to Sparta Prague in 2001. At age 19, Čech became a first team regular, and his single campaign with the club saw him register a league record of not conceding a goal in 903 competitive minutes. This led to his first move abroad, when he relocated to France to join Ligue 1 side Rennes for a fee of €5.5 million (£3.9 million) in 2002.
In France, Čech starred in an under-performing team, and was the subject of a then club-record transfer for a goalkeeper when he moved to Premier League side Chelsea for a fee of £7 million (€9.8 million) in 2004. In his eleven-year spell at Chelsea, Čech made 494 appearances in all competitions, making him their seventh most capped player of all time. He also helped the club win four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, one UEFA Champions League title, and one UEFA Europa League title. Čech also holds Chelsea's all-time record for clean sheets, with 228. Čech departed Chelsea in 2015 to join city rivals Arsenal for a fee of £10 million, where he won another FA Cup before retiring in 2019.
A Czech international, Čech made his debut with the Czech Republic in 2002, and is the most capped player in the history of the Czech national team, with 124 caps. He represented his country at the 2006 World Cup, as well as the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 European Championships. He was voted into the Euro 2004 All-Star team after helping the Czechs reach the semi-finals, and served as the team's captain, prior to retiring from international competition in 2016. Čech also holds the record for the most Czech Footballer of the Year and Czech Golden Ball wins.
Čech holds a number of goalkeeping records, including the Premier League record for fewest appearances required to reach 100 clean sheets, having done so in 180 appearances, the most clean sheets in a season (24), as well as the record for the most clean sheets in Premier League history (202). Čech is also the only goalkeeper to have won the Premier League Golden Glove with two separate clubs, and has won it a joint record four times; in the 2004–05, 2009–10, 2013–14 and the 2015–16 seasons. He was voted the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper in 2005, received the award of Best Goalkeeper in the 2004–05, 2006–07 and 2007–08 editions of the UEFA Champions League, and went 1,025 minutes without conceding a goal in the 2004–05 season, a league record. He has the third most clean sheets since 2000 among all goalkeepers.
Contents
Club career
Early career
Čech started playing football aged seven for Škoda Plzeň (later known as Viktoria Plzeň). In his early days, he played as a striker, although he moved to the goalkeeper position after breaking his leg at age ten. Čech joined Czech First League team Chmel Blšany in June 1999 and made his league debut at the age of 17 in October 1999, in a 3–1 loss against Sparta.
Čech signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with Sparta Prague at the age of 18 in January 2001, although he remained at Blšany until the end of the 2000–01 season. In November 2001, Čech broke the record formerly held by Theodor Reimann for the longest time elapsed without conceding a goal in the Czech professional league, stretching his run to 855 minutes. His clean sheet record finally ended when he was beaten by a goal from Marcel Melecký of Bohemians on 17 November 2001, ending his record at 903 consecutive minutes without conceding.
Despite Čech not winning the league title in the spring of 2002 with Sparta, he attracted interest from English clubs including Arsenal due to his international performances. Due to difficulties in obtaining a work permit, however, a proposed deal with the Gunners fell through.
Rennes
In July 2002, Čech moved to French club Rennes, signing a four-year contract for a transfer fee reported as CZK150 million (€5.5 million).
During his first season in France, he was awarded man of the match in a 0–0 draw against Paris Saint-Germain by L'Équipe. In May 2003, Rennes were 17th in the league with a single match to play; they avoided relegation with a win against Montpellier in their final match.
Chelsea
Chelsea made a transfer bid for Čech in January 2004 which was rejected. However in February Rennes agreed to Čech's move to Chelsea for £7 million. Čech signed a five-year contract, to commence in July 2004, becoming the most expensive goalkeeper in Chelsea's history at that time. Čech's was one of many British club transfers that came under the spotlight in the 2006 football corruption investigation for being potentially in breach of transfer regulations. The Stevens inquiry report, published in June 2007, found no evidence of illegal payments.
When Čech arrived at Chelsea, Carlo Cudicini was already established as Chelsea's first choice goalkeeper. Cudicini, however, suffered a pre-season elbow injury that allowed Chelsea manager José Mourinho to promote Čech into the starting spot, where he became the first-choice goalkeeper in his first season. He kept a clean sheet in his Premier League debut in a 1–0 victory over Manchester United.
On 5 March 2005, Čech set a new Premier League record of 1,025 minutes without letting in a goal, though his record was later broken by Manchester United's Edwin van der Sar. Čech finally conceded to Leon McKenzie of Norwich City, after keeping a clean sheet in the league since 12 December 2004 when Thierry Henry scored for Arsenal. Čech was given a special award by the Premier League for the new record, and he was also awarded the Premier League Golden Glove at the end of the 2004–05 season for keeping a record 24 clean sheets in the Premier League.
Chelsea retained the Premier League title in the 2005–06 season, with Čech playing in 34 league matches. Chelsea conceded just 22 times during the season. In January 2006, he was named the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper for 2005. In February 2006, Čech signed a two-year contract extension, keeping him at the club until 2010. He was also named the Czech Footballer of the Year for the first time.
Čech underwent minor shoulder surgery on 27 June 2006 to repair a long-standing injury stemming from the previous season. He returned to action on 27 August 2006.
Čech sustained a head injury in the match against Reading at the Madejski Stadium on 14 October 2006 when he collided with Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt inside Chelsea's penalty area within the first minute of a Premier League match. Hunt's right knee hit Čech's head, leaving the goalkeeper requiring treatment. Čech was taken off after several minutes and replaced by Carlo Cudicini, who was knocked unconscious later in the same game, forcing Chelsea captain John Terry to play in goal for the match's remaining minutes. Čech underwent surgery for a depressed skull fracture. Initially unaware of the seriousness of the injury, the doctors later reported that it nearly cost Čech his life, and as a result of the collision, he suffered intense headaches. Chelsea went on to win the match 1–0.
Arsenal
Čech signed for Chelsea's Premier League rivals Arsenal on a four-year contract on 29 June 2015, for a fee of around £10 million. His move saw him subjected to death threats by a few Chelsea supporters. The departure of Wojciech Szczęsny to Roma on loan made Čech first-choice goalkeeper ahead of David Ospina. On 2 August, Čech won his first trophy with Arsenal after beating former side Chelsea 1–0 in the 2015 FA Community Shield. A week later, he made his Premier League debut for Arsenal in a 2–0 home defeat to West Ham. On 20 October, he made his first Champions League appearance for Arsenal in a 2–0 win against Bayern Munich.
Čech recorded his 170th Premier League clean sheet in a 2–0 win against AFC Bournemouth on 28 December 2015, setting a new league record and overtaking previous record holder David James. On 2 March 2016, he was sidelined due to a calf injury while playing against Swansea. On 2 April, he returned as an unused substitute against Watford and returned to the pitch on 17 April against Crystal Palace in a narrow 1–1 draw and guided Arsenal to its 500th Premier League win on 21 April against West Brom. Marking the end of his debut season with Arsenal, he was named the Premier League Goalkeeper of the season by critics and platforms for winning the Golden Glove with an under-performing defence.
Čech was given the captain's armband for Arsenal in their 4–3 opening day home loss to Liverpool. In September 2016, he featured for the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 rout by Arsenal of his former side Chelsea at the Emirates. On 24 April 2017, Čech played in the 2016–17 FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City at Wembley, which Arsenal won 2–1. During this season, Cech received mild criticism among Arsenal fans for his inability to play with the ball at his feet but meanwhile he had the third most clearances among all goalkeepers in Premier League with 11 which manifested his transformation into a "sweeper keeper". Čech again held the captain's armband on 10 May 2017 in a 2–0 win over Southampton at the St Mary's Stadium. Čech was sidelined for the FA Cup Final due to injury, but Arsenal beat Chelsea 2–1. Čech won his fifth FA Cup, and Arsenal became the most successful club in the history of the competition with 13 tournament wins.
Čech was Arsenal's starting goalkeeper in the 2017 Community Shield, against his former club Chelsea; following a 1–1 draw after regulation time, Arsenal won the match in a 4–1 penalty shoot-out, in which neither keeper saved a spot kick.
International career
Youth
Čech started playing for the Czech Republic at youth level. He made a combined total of 34 appearances for age groups between under-15 and under-18 between 1998 and 2000. In 2000 he moved up to the under-20 and under-21 teams, making a total of 22 appearances across those teams. Čech first came to prominence at the age of 20 at the 2002 U-21 European Championships, when he conceded only one penalty in a penalty shoot-out victory over France in the final, earning the Czech Republic their first title at youth level.
Senior
Čech debuted for the senior squad in February 2002 against Hungary. After establishing himself as the first choice goalkeeper, Čech was selected in the Czech Republic's squad for UEFA Euro 2004, where he was named in the all-star team as best goalkeeper at the tournament.
On 17 October 2007, Čech captained the Czech Republic team in their Euro 2008 Group D qualifier against Germany. He kept a clean sheet and the Czechs defeated Germany 3–0 away to book their place for the finals in Austria and Switzerland. In the last group game of the final tournament, Čech was beaten three times in the final 15 minutes as Turkey overcame a two-goal deficit to knock the Czechs out. Čech had a cross slip through his hands, allowing Nihat Kahveci to score Turkey's equalising goal.
On 29 May 2012, Čech was named in the Czech Republic's squad for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. In the Czech Republic's group match against Greece, a fumble from Čech allowed the Greeks a goal. Čech deputised for the injured Tomáš Rosický as captain in the final group match against Poland, as the Czech Republic qualified for the quarter-finals with a 1–0 victory. Čech's captaincy continued in the quarter-final, where the Czechs lost to Portugal through a 79th-minute Cristiano Ronaldo goal.
On 26 March 2013, Čech made his 100th appearance for the Czech Republic, keeping a clean sheet in a 3–0 win over Armenia. Čech equalled the national record of former teammate Karel Poborský on 17 November 2015, when he earned his 118th appearance in a 3–1 loss to neighbours Poland in Wrocław. The following 27 May, he took the record outright by playing in a 6–0 friendly victory over Malta.
On 8 July 2016, Čech announced his retirement from international football. He is the most capped player in the history of the Czech team, with 124 caps.
Management career and non-contract football
In June 2019, Čech returned to former club Chelsea as a technical and performance advisor.
In October 2020, Čech was included in Chelsea's 25-man Premier League squad for the 2020–21 season. The club announced that Čech was included as an emergency goalkeeper and as a non-contract player, and that this was a precautionary move due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He made one appearance for Chelsea's under-23 team in the Premier League 2.
During a protest against the proposed European Super League outside Stamford Bridge on 20 April 2021, Čech approached fans who were blocking the team bus and could be heard saying "give us time". The fans did move and the team bus was able to enter after a short delay. Later that day, Chelsea were among the first clubs to withdraw from the league.
In June 2022, Čech left Chelsea after Todd Boehly took over the club.
Ice hockey career
On 9 October 2019, Čech signed for ice hockey side Guildford Phoenix of the National Ice Hockey League Division 2 (level 4 of British hockey) as a goaltender. He chose to wear number 39 jersey in honour of Dominik Hašek. Čech said he would continue his role as a technical and performance advisor at Chelsea whilst playing ice hockey in his spare time. He was named the man of the match on his ice hockey debut on 13 October, after stopping two penalty shots in a shoot-out victory, and making several other crucial saves. After winning a treble with Guildford Phoenix in the 2021–22 season, Čech signed for the National Ice Hockey League Division 1 side Chelmsford Chieftains in November 2022. In June 2023, after one season with Chelmsford, he signed for fellow Division 1 side Oxford City Stars.
In the 2023 off-season, Čech played for the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) defending champions, Belfast Giants, in a charity match to support the continuation of ice hockey in Ukraine (amid the Russo-Ukrainian War), raising £65,000. In November 2023, he joined the club on loan as temporary emergency cover. In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, Čech revealed that he used to play youth ice hockey in addition to football, but equipment costs forced him to play the significantly cheaper sport of football. He also stated that ice hockey was his preferred sport as a child. Čech made his first and only appearance for the Giants during his initial loan spell in a 5–1 win over the Glasgow Clan on 25 November, playing for the final five minutes of the game in relief of starting goaltender Tyler Beskorowany, and making one save. He returned to his parent club in December before re-signing for the Giants on loan for a second time in the 2023–24 season in February 2024. In the summer of the same year, he joined the Belfast Giants for the third time on a short-term deal.
Čech did not play during the 2024–25 season. In the middle of the 2025–26 season, he signed a contract with the National Ice Hockey League Division 2 side Haringey Huskies.
Player profile
Style of play
Since emerging as a youth player, Čech has been widely considered to be one of the leading goalkeepers of his generation and one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. Throughout his career, he was noted for his reflexes, shot-stopping abilities, positional awareness, concentration, defense organization, cross-handling abilities, and command of his penalty area.
Although Čech is not as adept with the ball at his feet as the newer generation of goalkeepers that emerged in his later career, he possesses a deep kick with either foot, despite being naturally left-footed. His ability to produce deep kicks and long throws came to use in his Chelsea days for starting quick counter-attacks which were an important part of their game. In his later career, he often functioned as a sweeper keeper, due to his ability to rush off his line, anticipate opponents who had beaten the offside trap, and clear the ball away from danger. Čech is also known for his penalty-saving abilities. Some examples of his penalty saves in high-profile matches include those made in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final, the 2010 FA Cup final, and his penalty save against Blackburn during the 2004–05 season, which helped him beat Peter Schmeichel's Premier League record of 694 minutes without conceding a goal. He cited fellow goalkeepers Oliver Kahn, Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar as inspirations in his early career.
Reception
Čech is considered to be one of the greatest goalkeepers both of his generation and of all time, as well as one of the best keepers in Premier League history, and has earned praise from several players, pundits, and managers due to his goalkeeping ability. Fellow goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon named Čech as the best goalkeeper of his era, saying: "The best goalkeeper with his feet? Pepe Reina. In the air I'd say Neuer. With his hands: Casillas. The best overall I'd say is Čech." Iker Casillas instead described him as, "One of the best goalkeepers I have ever seen" via his Twitter account. Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger and goalkeeper Jens Lehmann have hailed him as "one of the greatest of all time". Journalist Alan Tyers of The Telegraph described Čech as the "Premier League's best-ever goalkeeper" in 2019.
Čech currently holds two Guinness World Records for the most clean sheets in English Premier League history, and for winning the Premier League Golden Glove Award with two different clubs. Nathan Baxter, Martin Dúbravka, Marek Rodák and João Virgínia are some of the goalkeepers who have described him as their idol. In 2011, Čech was voted the third best goalkeeper of the first decade of 21st century by IFFHS. He also has the third highest number of clean sheets (391) since 2000s among all goalkeepers. Former Premier League striker and record-goalscorer Alan Shearer named Čech in his Premier League's Team of the Decade in 2019.
Personal life
Čech was born a triplet along with his sister Šárka and brother Michal in Plzeň, Czechoslovakia (present day Czech Republic). He has a weaker skull as a result of being a triplet.
Čech married Martina Dolejšová (now Čechová; born 1982), also of Czech nationality, in June 2003. They have a daughter, born in 2008, and a son Damián, born in 2009, who signed his first professional contract with Fulham in 2025. In August 2025, Čech announced that he and his wife Martina were divorcing.
He is a keen musician and plays the drums, which he picked up in 2011 after playing Guitar Hero at Carlo Cudicini's house. He has a YouTube channel under his own name on which he posts video drum covers, including Incubus' "Anna Molly", as well as songs by Coldplay and Foo Fighters. He has played with Roger Taylor of Queen. In May 2019, he and Taylor released a charity single called That's Football. In 2020, he joined folk rock band Wills & The Willing as their drummer, filming their music video "Iceberg".
Along with his native language Czech, Čech also speaks English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
Career statistics
Ice hockey
As of 10 June 2024
Honours
Football
Chelsea
Premier League: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15
FA Cup: 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12
Football League Cup: 2004–05, 2006–07, 2014–15; runner-up: 2007–08
FA Community Shield: 2005, 2009
UEFA Champions League: 2011–12; runner-up: 2007–08
UEFA Europa League: 2012–13
FIFA Club World Cup runner-up: 2012
Arsenal
FA Cup: 2016–17
FA Community Shield: 2015, 2017
EFL Cup runner-up: 2017–18
UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2018–19
Czech Republic U21
UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2002
Individual
UEFA European Under-21 Championship Golden Player: 2002
Ligue 1 Gardien d'Or: 2003–04
UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2004
Premier League Golden Glove: 2004–05, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2015–16
PFA Team of the Year: 2004–05 Premier League, 2013–14 Premier League
Ice hockey
Guildford Phoenix
NIHL Division 2 South Regular Season: 2021–22
NIHL Division 2 South Playoffs: 2021–22
NIHL Division 2 South Cup: 2021–22
Individual
NIHL 2 South Player of the Month: January 2020
Orders
Honorary Silver Medal of Jan Masaryk: 2019
Records
Most Premier League Golden Glove awards: 4 (shared with Joe Hart)
Most Premier League clean sheets: 202 clean sheets.
Most Premier League clean sheets at one club: 162 with Chelsea.
Most Premier League clean sheets in a season: 24 in 2004–05.
First Premier League goalkeeper to reach 200 clean sheets.
First Premier League goalkeeper to go 1000 minutes without conceding a goal.
Fastest Premier League goalkeeper to reach 50 clean sheets: 82 appearances.
Fastest Premier League goalkeeper to reach 100 clean sheets: 180 appearances.
Only goalkeeper to have won the Premier League Golden Glove with different clubs.
Most caps for Czech Republic national football team: 124 caps.
Most Czech Footballer of the Year wins: 9 wins.
Most Czech Republic Golden Ball wins: 11 wins.
Most Champions League appearances by a Czech player: 111 appearances.
Most Premier League appearances for Chelsea by a foreign player: 333 appearances.
Most Premier League wins for Chelsea by a foreign player: 219 wins.