The 41-year-old, who announced his retirement from football in 2019, signs a brief contract with the National Ice Hockey League South Division One's Oxford City Stars as "temporary emergency cover."
“We're very appreciative of the support of both the Oxford City Stars and Petr himself,” Giants head coach Adam Keefe stated in a statement.
“Petr is a highly decorated athlete who understands what it takes to compete at the highest level, so his assistance will be priceless during this loan period.”
📣 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 👀
— Belfast Giants (@BelfastGiants) November 15, 2023
The Stena Line Belfast Giants can confirm that legendary Premier League goalkeeper and current @OxfordCityStars netminder @PetrCech has joined the club on loan as temporary emergency cover. 🥅
📰 https://t.co/O1Jl7qxd4o
📸 William Cherry. pic.twitter.com/ezot6TsTPl
Cech was one of Chelsea's first acquisitions under Roman Abramovich when he relocated to England from Rennes in 2004. During his 11 years at Stamford Bridge, he won four Premier League crowns, five FA Cups, three League Cups, the Champions League, and the Europa League.
He joined Arsenal in 2015 and stayed with the Gunners for four years, playing for the team all the way to the Premier League championship. For the Czech Republic, he also earned 124 caps during the course of a 14-year international career.