Back between the sticks… only this time it’s an ice hockey goal Petr Cech is protecting as Chelsea legend joins Guildford Flames for training session
- Petr Cech took part in a training session with top division side Guildford Flames
- Cech was a fan of the Great Britain flag-themed helmet he wore whilst in goal
- The former Czech goalkeeper is currently a technical advisor at Chelsea
- He won four Premier Leagues, four FA Cups and the 2012 Champions League
Former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech swapped football goals for ice hockey nets as he took part in a training session with Elite Ice Hockey League team Guildford Flames.
Cech, who is currently a technical and performance advisor at Stamford Bridge, retired from football at the end of last season but got a thorough workout at the Flames’ base in Surrey, Guildford Spectrum, on Tuesday.
Sharing pictures on his Instagram, the Champions League winner was in goal wearing an eye-catching protective kit, stopping flying pucks instead of footballs.
Petr Cech in a padded Guildford Flames goalkeeper outfit worn for matches
Cech was fully kitted out with white pads, a white stick and a GB-flag themed helmet
Cech paid tribute to the helmet’s design, by David Gunnarsson, on his Instagram page
The 37-year-old has spoken previously about his love for ice hockey, and how he could have gone down a previous route in his youth.
‘I always wanted to play ice hockey – that was always my first choice,’ Cech told Arsenal TVHD three years ago.
‘But obviously, at that time, you would have to buy all the equipment so if you imagine the financial aspect of buying all the equipment and you grow up fast as a kid so then you need to keep buying it and we just couldn’t afford it.
‘My father was very clever and he knew that I’d enjoy any type of sport and that I had ice hockey and football on the same level.
Cech attempts to stop a puck nestling into the back of the net while training with Guildford
‘So he took me to the football club when I was six-and-a-half or seven and obviously, as soon as I started playing football, I knew that I really liked it.’
Cech kept 202 clean sheets in a Premier League career spanning 15 years, 11 with Chelsea and four with Arsenal.
His career ironically ended against the team he started in England with and his current employers, Chelsea, in a 4-1 defeat for the Gunners in the Europa League final.
He now works with Frank Lampard and the rest of the backroom staff at Stamford Bridge on transfers and youth policy.
