Petr Cech checks out.He has called time on his international career – after playing 121 times for his country since 2002.
Famous last words…
“I’m now 34 and the next [international] tournament is in two years which, in football, is a very long time. The last thing I wanted to do was start a campaign and then say ‘I don’t think it’s right for me to continue’ halfway through it.
“I’ve made fantastic memories and I will keep them. But as I said, you cannot stop time and sometimes you need to make decisions looking to the future. I believe it is the right move.
“When I was a kid, my ultimate dream was to play for the national team at least once. Having done it so many times makes me really proud.
“You look back at the Czech and Czechoslovakian history and you see so many great names and players. I managed to play more games than them, which shows the consistency and quality of my game.”