Former Chelsea keeper joins Premier League Hall of Fame

Goalkeeping great Petr Cech has become the latest former footballer to join the Premier League Hall of Fame, the highest individual honour awarded by the League.

The former Chelsea and Arsenal shotstopper was selected by fans through an online public vote, and the Premier League Awards Panel.

Cech joins his former Gunners boss Arsène Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson, who have already been announced, as Hall of Fame inductees for 2023.

The Hall of Fame recognises and celebrates individuals who have an exceptional record of success and have made a significant contribution to the Premier League since its inception in 1992.

Cech holds the record for most Premier League clean sheets as a goalkeeper, with 202 shutouts in 443 appearances for Chelsea and Arsenal.

Cech became a Premier League Champion four times with Chelsea, helping the Blues to back-to-back titles in 2004/05 and 2005/06 in his first seasons in English football.

In his debut campaign, the team conceded just 15 goals, with Cech keeping 24 clean sheets in 35 appearances, both records for a single season.

Two further titles followed in 2009/10 and 2014/15 as Chelsea dethroned Manchester United and then Manchester City.

A phenomenal save-maker, but also renowned as an organiser of his defence, with the ability to communicate in eight languages, Cech notably returned from a potentially life-threatening injury sustained in 2006 and ended his career with four Premier League Golden Gloves, which is another record.

He becomes the second goalkeeper inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining Peter Schmeichel.

Cech said: “When I was a child growing up in communist Czechoslovakia, playing in the Premier League was an unimaginable dream. When I look back to where I started, diving on rock-solid pitches with stones like golf balls, it has been an amazing journey.

“I hope to be known as someone who showed effort, commitment, and consistency. Making a great save feels the same as scoring a goal and I’m proud of my clean sheet record, but I was even more happy when those clean sheets won matches and points for the team and contributed to titles!

“It’s an honour for me to be voted into the Hall of Fame in the best league in the world. That’s really a special recognition and leaves a legacy. I’m proud that fans voted for me and appreciated the way I performed over the years.”

All inducted players receive a medallion engraved with their name and the year of their induction, with a £10,000 donation made by the Premier League to a charity of their choice.