Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has been left stunned after news surfaced that former club teammate and close pal Petr Cech is ready to play in goal again as he has joined English ice hockey team Guildford Phoenix.
Ex-Chelsea and Arsenal keeper Petr Cech, one of the greatest Premier League goalkeepers of all time, has signed a one-year deal with the semiprofessional Guildford Phoenix ice hockey club in England on Wednesday.
He may have hung up his gloves, but Petr Cech is still chasing other dreams in other sports with the aim of combining his work as a technical advisor at Chelsea with this new adventure.
— Petr Cech (@PetrCech) October 9, 2019
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to play with the Phoenix to get match experience,” Czech told his new team’s website.
“I hope I can help this young team to achieve their goals for the season and try to win as many games as possible when I have the chance to play.
“After 20 years of professional football this is going to be a wonderful experience for me to play the game I loved to watch and play as a kid.”
The Phoenix compete in the National Ice Hockey League Two, the fourth tier of the UK’s ice hockey pyramid.
“The signing of Petr is massive for the Phoenix, he is a great guy who trains hard and I cannot wait to see him make his debut,” head coach Andy Hemmings said.
Drogba could not hide his excitement at the news as he tweeted,
It has to be him @PetrCech !!!! We riiiiiiise 🤣 @PHXRisingFC https://t.co/g4rRU390Tp
— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) October 9, 2019
Didier Drogba and Petr Czech played together for almost a decade at Chelsea, winning the prestigious UEFA Champions League in 2012 among several honours.
