Cech extends Chelsea contract

Pa
Monday 21 July 2008 12:00 BST
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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 today in Guangzhou, China, for the pre-season tour of Asia.

The Czech 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, www.chelseafc.com.

"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 Barclays Premiership 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."

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