Petr Cech announced that he had finished his second season playing with two fractured shoulders at Chelsea. Cech, who ended his service at Arsenal before moving to Chelsea as a professional adviser, battled his way back from extreme illness to secure a reputation as a great all-time.
In 2004 the Blues from Rennes purchased the Czech goalkeeper. Ever since, he endured significant discomfort before sustaining a cracked skull in October 2006.
Telling Chelsea’s official website of the commitment he gave to the cause: “There was one aspect I never talked about because people at the time didn’t even know.
“I broke my labrum in my arm half way into my first season at Chelsea. I began the season, and finished it like that.”
He said, “It seemed like it should heal over the season. It hasn’t! I still had a big problem with my arm during the second season, so I was covering it.”
However, at that point Cech was well used to nursing himself through outings, “Then, I did almost the same thing about my other shoulder in the first half of my second season. I finished my second season with damaged shoulders. I learned how to practice correctly and I didn’t experience the constant agony every day it was impossible to stop.”
He finally allowed himself to focus on his recovery only after the World Cup:
“I was worried of the second season’s surgery, so I didn’t want to avoid losing the World Cup. Everyone even understood how long it would take me to come back.”
“After World Cup I decided to take the operation on my relief. I came back from it really quickly and I loved playing games and not feeling discomfort when I was exercising and going.”
