Petr Cech joined English lower-league ice hockey team Guildford Phoenix on Wednesday and is set to make his debut between the pipes this weekend.
“I hope I can help this young team to achieve their goals for the season and try to win as many games as possible when I have the chance to play,” Cech said in the Phoenix statement.
“After 20 years of professional football, this is going to be a wonderful experience for me to play the game I loved to watch and play as a kid.”
The retired Premier League goalkeeper won the Champions League, the Europa League, four Premier League titles, and eight domestic cups before calling an end to his playing career in the summer. The 37-year-old has also appeared for the Czech Republic more than any other player; he won the last of his 124 caps at Euro 2016.
Cech, who currently serves as a technical and performance advisor at Chelsea, tweeted images of himself training as a hockey goaltender in August:
.@flamesicehockey 🔥 getting ready for the season .@officialEIHL 🏒🥅 …@daveartofficial helmet is 👌🏻 pic.twitter.com/KJuUfFbkm4
— Petr Cech (@PetrCech) August 27, 2019