Arsenal officially signed Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Čech for a fee of around £10 million on a four-year contract on 29 June 2015.
The 33 year old goalkeeper is a Chelsea legend where he played from 2004 to 2015 and won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three Football League Cups, one UEFA Europa League and one UEFA Champions League.
Considered as a one of the best in modern era, Petr Čech has won Premier League for three times in the 2004–05, 2009–10 and 2013–14 seasons.
He also holds the record of most number of clean sheets in English Premier League.
But he had to leave Chelsea after losing his place to Belgian 23 year old goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois who is considered as the the Blues’ future.
Petr Cech has revealed he could have joined Arsenal in 2002 were it not for complications with his work permit, but Arsene Wenger’s new goalkeeper adds: ‘I didn’t really miss much.’
He joined French club Rennes in 2002 after missing out on Arsenal.
Cech left France for England in 2004 and joined Chelsea.
After joining Arsenal the 33 year old said: ‘I didn’t really miss much but all I’ve managed to achieve in the past decade, if I can replicate here will be brilliant.’
Speaking with the club’s official channel, Cech continued: ‘There was a chance before I went to France that I could sign for Arsenal but I was only 18 or 19 and at that time Czech Republic were not in the European Union.’
‘You needed a work permit and the conditions were to play 75 per cent of the first-team games for the national team, which at the time was impossible for me to get. In the end I went to France because I couldn’t get a work permit.’
‘I had a few teams who were interested but Arsenal was one of the main ones. I was so excited because of the Premier League and big clubs but unfortunately it was not the time for me to come.’
‘It was later with Chelsea, and I’m obviously grateful for that, but you can never prepare the ways in your life and you’ll never know where you’ll end up. So here we are.’
Cech is looking to add more trophies to his collection with Arsenal now and is optimistic about the London club’s chances in future.
Here is a video of the interview of the legendary goalkeeper: