Enlarge image

Petr Čech was the man with the helmet in football

Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP

Former football goalkeeper Petr Čech joins the Belfast Giants, ice hockey champions of the United Kingdom, at the age of 41. The former Czech world-class goalkeeper will receive a loan contract as a goalie as a "temporary emergency solution", as the Northern Irish capital club announced. Čech joins from third-division ice hockey team Oxford City Stars, where he had been hired before this season.

Čech was considered one of the best football goalkeepers in the world until he ended his football career in 2019 and switched to ice hockey. He has already been under contract with several lower league British clubs. Belfast is the champion of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) for the seventh time in its history. "Petr is a highly decorated athlete who knows what it takes to perform at the highest level. Therefore, his support during this loan spell will be invaluable," said Belfast Giants head coach Adam Keefe.

Čech made over 600 appearances in the Premier League

Čech moved to England from Rennes in 2004 and was one of the first new signings in the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea. In eleven years at Stamford Bridge, he won four Premier League titles, as well as five FA Cups, three League Cups, the Champions League and the Europa League.

In October 2006, Čech suffered a skull impression fracture in a collision with an opponent. Since then, Cech wore a helmet as a precaution, which became a trademark. Čech was also part of the Chelsea team that robbed Bayern Munich of their dream of Champions League triumph in their own stadium in 2012 in the "Finale dahoam". He saved a penalty from Arjen Robben in extra time before saving Ivica Olić's shot in the penalty shoot-out and Chelsea won the title through Bastian Schweinsteiger's shot at the post.

In 2015, Čech signed for Arsenal and played for the Gunners until he retired four years later after making over 600 appearances in the Premier League. In his 14-year international career, he won 124 caps for the Czech Republic.

ast/dpa/sid