Cech is given no guarantees
PETR CECH says he has not been given any assurances by new boss Unai Emery that he will be Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper this season.
Cech, 36, has been Arsenal’s No1 since joining from Chelsea three years ago. But the arrival of Bernd Leno, 26, for £19.6million from Bayer Leverkusen, has put him under threat.
German international Leno started Arsenal’s two previous friendlies against Atletico Madrid and Paris SaintGermain and, although Cech played the entire game against Chelsea in Dublin on Wednesday and even saved two penalties, he has had no assurances from Emery.
“For every player you do your best, then the manager has his choice to make. I have not been given any assurances,” said Cech.
Regardless of what happens this term, Cech has no immediate plans to retire but said the older he gets, the more appealing management becomes. “I was always against it but the more experienced I get, the more I think it’s something I would want to try because I have something to offer and I can use it in the next step,” he said.
“I have been doing my coaching badges with the Czech FA, so I’m in a good way. The moment I finish, I need to do the UEFA Pro License, then I will probably open an opportunity for myself to continue if I want to.
“I always said the decision to retire will probably be in my body or in my motivation but my motivation is the same as 20 years ago, so that’s what carries me on every day to work hard and perform.
“I’m also fit, I can train at 100 per cent every day and I can perform, so that’s a huge factor.”