The Premier League Hall of Fame has inducted Chelsea's famous goalkeeper Petr Cech, the club website reported on Wednesday.
Cech has kept 202 clean sheets in the Premier League, 163 of them for the Blues, making him the most successful goalkeeper in Chelsea and league history.
“The Czech, who played for Chelsea between 2004 and 2015, received the Golden Glove award for the top-flight’s most clean sheets in a record four separate seasons”, said the Chelsea website.
Big Pete, as he was fondly referred to enjoyed an 11-year winning streak at Stamford Bridge during which he won the EPL four times, the FA Cup four times, the League Cup three times, and added Champions League and Europa League trophies.
Cech moved to Chelsea's London rivals, Arsenal, where he added the FA Cup to his resume and finished the final few seasons of his illustrious career.
"Playing in the Premier League was an unimaginable dream when I was a child growing up in communist Czechoslovakia," Cech remarked upon earning the prize, which was chosen by fans and the Premier League Awards Panel.
"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.”
Along with former Manchester United and Arsenal legends Rio Ferdinand and Tony Adams, Cech was honored as a 2023 Hall of Fame inductee.
