PETR CECH HAS named the six goalkeepers who have helped him shape his career in football.
The Arsenal goalkeeper now holds the record for the most clean sheets in the Premier League after he surpassed David James’ tally in Monday’s 2-0 victory over Bournemouth.
And Cech has revealed that he has modelled his own game based on the abilities of Oliver Kahn, Santiago Canizares, Peter Schmeichel, Edwin van der Sar, Gianluigi Buffon and Iker Casillas.
“When I was a kid I didn’t have one goalkeeper to look up to. I was watching all the game and realised there are so many keepers with something which stands out,” said the 33-year-old.
Oliver Kahn and his determination, Canizares you could see the concentration and focus on his eyes, Schmeichel and his overall presence.
“And then came Van der Saar who started playing at Ajax as a libero and you had never seen that before.
People then thought the keeper is not just there to save the ball, you have an extra player. So you try to take the best of all the best keepers around and make a puzzle for yourself.
“You know what will work and how you can improve things.
“Then you had Casillas and Buffon playing when they were really young.
Iker is only one year older me and you think ‘if he can play for Real Madrid at 18 why can’t I?’
“So you realise it’s not only about age, but how well you train and play. This was my approach to it and I learned from everyone.”
