Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech believes he can play on at the highest level for another 10 years.
Chelsea goalkeeper plans long-term Blues stay
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech believes he can play on at the highest level for another 10 years.
The 29-year-old's long-term future at Stamford Bridge has been the subject of speculation after an indifferent campaign by his high standards.
The Blues signed Thibaud Courtois as the Czech Republic international's eventual long-term replacement before loaning him out to Atletico Madrid so that he can get some valuable first-team experience under his belt.
However, Cech has no plans to quit and feels he can play on at Stamford Bridge until he is 39 as goalkeepers can have longer careers than outfield players.
"I have been playing at the top level for 11 years now - eight years with one of the best clubs in the world, which Chelsea is and has been," Cech told the club's
official website.
"Before that, I spent two years in France and, before that, I was playing in the Champions League with Sparta Prague when I was 19.
Experience
"I think that gives you a lot of experience. In your life, you can be a professional player at the highest level only once and that means, as long as I can play at that level, I will carry on. I hope I have another six or seven years to play.
"In terms of goalkeeping, you need to know that you are still sharp, still strong and that you have a good speed of execution in terms of reflex movements and hand-eye co-ordination.
"These are the things you train the most on and they are the results you compare to see if you are still at the same level.
"I think, for an outfield player, it's different because maybe they can't continue to do what they were doing before as they get older and then they need to adjust their game in order to think faster, or something.
"But, as a goalkeeper, I think your reactions can be more or less the same until you are 39."
