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Cech Signs New Blues Deal

Mon 21 Jul, 12:09 PM


Petr Cech has signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea, according to the club's official website.

The deal, which keeps the 26-year-old goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge until 2013, was completed late last week but announced as the team touched down in Guangzhou, China, for the pre-season tour of Asia on Monday.

The Czech Republic international arrived in the summer of 2004 from Rennes and has made 115 appearances in four seasons with the Blues.

Cech has played a total of 166 games in all competitions - recording 90 clean sheets - for Chelsea and was thrilled to extend his contract.

"It is an honour to be at a club like Chelsea and I am very happy to have renewed my contract with them," Cech told the club's official website.

"Chelsea has grown in my heart, not just because of my team-mates and all the people that work for the club but also because of their fantastic fans."

In his first season with the Blues, Cech was awarded with the Premier League Golden Gloves, as he set a new record in top flight football for not conceding a goal in 1,024 minutes and for the most clean sheets (21) in a single Premier League season.

Despite a high-profile blunder in the Euro 2008 match against Turkey, Cech is one of the world's top goalkeepers.

He was voted UEFA's Most Valuable Goalkeeper in the 2005-06 season, along with being named the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) World's Best Goalkeeper in 2005.

The news of Cech's deal is another boost for new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, following the announcement of Wayne Bridge's new contract last week and the recent capture of Portuguese international Deco.

The goalkeeper added: "I gave my first interview when I arrived at Chelsea in 2004 and I had said that it had been my dream to play for one of the best clubs in the world and in the best league in the world - this came true and I am very pleased my dream will last.

"Personally I have to say I cannot wait for the new season to start.

"I am confident that it will be a very successful season for all of us."

Scolari said: "I am delighted that Petr has signed a new contract.

"In my view he is the best goalkeeper in the world, so I am very pleased that he will remain with me at Chelsea.''

Chief executive Peter Kenyon added: "I think everybody agrees with Felipe's assessment that Petr is the best goalkeeper in the world so naturally we are very happy he has committed his long term future to us,'' Kenyon said.

"He has been a key player in the club's success in the last four years.

"He has also shown himself throughout this time to be a top professional and is a great ambassador for the club on and off the field.''

Petr Cech Factfile:

1982: Born May 20 in Plzen, Czech Republic.

1998-2001: Plays for Viktoria Plzen and Chmel Blsany before moving on to Sparta Prague. Sets a national record by going 855 minutes without conceding a goal.

2002: February - Makes senior debut for Czech Republic against Hungary.

Later that year he is part of the Czech Under-21 side which wins the European Championship.

Joins French club Rennes for the 2002-03 season after just one season at Sparta.

2004: June/July - Keeps five clean sheets as the Czech Republic reach the semi-finals of the Euro 2004.

July 1, 2004: Signs for Chelsea in a £7million deal.

August 15, 2004: Makes Blues debut in a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

2005: March - Breaks Premier League shut-out record, going 1,024 minutes without conceding a goal, a run which stretches back to December 2004.

May: Wins Premiership title with Chelsea and breaks top-flight records for most clean sheets and fewest goals conceded.

2006: May - Chelsea retain their league title, with Cech again a key performer.

June: Plays in each of the Czechs' three World Cup games in Germany as they are eliminated at the group stage.

August: Misses the start of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

October 14: Taken to hospital after a collision with Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt in a Premier League match at the Madejski Stadium.

October 15: Chelsea confirm Cech has undergone surgery for a depressed fracture of the skull.

October 16: Neurosurgeon Peter Hamlyn warns Cech his injury could prove fatal if he returns to action too soon.

2007: January 22: He returns to the side wearing a skull-cap in Chelsea's 2-0 defeat at Liverpool.

February 25: Cech picks up another winners medal as Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-1 in the Carling Cup final.

May: Chelsea finish second in the Premier League but Cech's clean sheet in the FA Cup final helps Jose Mourinho's side defeat Manchester United 1-0.

2008: April 7: A training ground accident with Tal Ben Haim leaves Cech needing 50 stitches to his face.

April 14: Cech makes his comeback from injury, this time wearing a chin-strap in The Blues' 1-1 draw with Wigan.

May 21: Cech saves a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League final but he fails to stop Manchester United winning the final 6-5 on penalties.

June 15: Drops a cross to allow Turkey's Nihat Kahveci to equalise in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals - the same player then nets a late winner which knocks the Czech Republic out.

July 21 - Signs new five-year deal with Chelsea.

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