Former Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech made his Elite League ice hockey debut with Belfast Giants in a 5-1 win over Glasgow Clan.
Coach Adam Keefe brought on the former Blues goalie with 4:43 remaining in the game after the defending treble winners had already secured a 5-1 victory.
The 6,000-person crowd started yelling, "We Want Cech," and Keefe obliged, allowing the Champions League winner to walk down the rink to huge cheers.
Cech is currently on a loan from Oxford City Stars, a team that plays in the National Ice Hockey League, a lower league than the Elite League, to Belfast Giants.
Petr Cech has previously played for Guildford Phoenix and Chelmsford Chieftains as a netminder, which is equivalent to a goalkeeper in football.
Petr Cech hopes to make a big impression with the Giants in his new avatar when they play the Nottingham Panthers on Sunday, November 26, 2023, at 4 PM UK time.
Petr Cech is a Czech former professional footballer who was born on 20 May 1982 and played as a goalkeeper.
However, he now plays ice hockey as a goaltender for Belfast Giants, on loan from Oxford City Stars.
He has been described as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, and as one of the best in Premier League history.
Cech started his senior career in 1999 at Chmel Blšany, where he played sparingly for two seasons before moving to Sparta Prague in 2001.
Cech broke the league record for the fewest goals allowed in 903 competitive minutes during his one-year stint with the squad after he established himself as a first-team regular at the age of 19.
This resulted in his first overseas transfer in 2002 when he moved to France to play for Ligue 1 team Rennes, paying €5.5 million (£3.9 million).
Cech set club records for custodian transfers when he left France in 2004 to join Chelsea of the Premier League for a cost of £7 million (€9.8 million), despite playing a key role in a team that was underperforming.
Cech became the sixth most capped player in Chelsea history with 494 appearances in all competitions during his eleven-year tenure.
Along with those accolades, he helped the team win one UEFA Champions League title, one UEFA Europa League trophy, four FA Cups, three League Cups, and four Premier League titles.
Cech also holds the record for most clean sheets for Chelsea with 229 and when he left Chelsea in 2015 for £10 million to play for Arsenal, he won another FA Cup before retiring in 2019.
Coach Adam Keefe brought on the former Blues goalie with 4:43 remaining in the game after the defending treble winners had already secured a 5-1 victory.
The 6,000-person crowd started yelling, "We Want Cech," and Keefe obliged, allowing the Champions League winner to walk down the rink to huge cheers.
Cech is currently on a loan from Oxford City Stars, a team that plays in the National Ice Hockey League, a lower league than the Elite League, to Belfast Giants.
Petr Cech has previously played for Guildford Phoenix and Chelmsford Chieftains as a netminder, which is equivalent to a goalkeeper in football.
Petr Cech hopes to make a big impression with the Giants in his new avatar when they play the Nottingham Panthers on Sunday, November 26, 2023, at 4 PM UK time.
Petr Cech
Petr Cech is a Czech former professional footballer who was born on 20 May 1982 and played as a goalkeeper.
However, he now plays ice hockey as a goaltender for Belfast Giants, on loan from Oxford City Stars.
He has been described as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, and as one of the best in Premier League history.
Footballing Career
Cech started his senior career in 1999 at Chmel Blšany, where he played sparingly for two seasons before moving to Sparta Prague in 2001.
Cech broke the league record for the fewest goals allowed in 903 competitive minutes during his one-year stint with the squad after he established himself as a first-team regular at the age of 19.
This resulted in his first overseas transfer in 2002 when he moved to France to play for Ligue 1 team Rennes, paying €5.5 million (£3.9 million).
Cech set club records for custodian transfers when he left France in 2004 to join Chelsea of the Premier League for a cost of £7 million (€9.8 million), despite playing a key role in a team that was underperforming.
Cech became the sixth most capped player in Chelsea history with 494 appearances in all competitions during his eleven-year tenure.
Along with those accolades, he helped the team win one UEFA Champions League title, one UEFA Europa League trophy, four FA Cups, three League Cups, and four Premier League titles.
Cech also holds the record for most clean sheets for Chelsea with 229 and when he left Chelsea in 2015 for £10 million to play for Arsenal, he won another FA Cup before retiring in 2019.