Former goalkeeper has praised the club’s captain Cesar Azpilicueta and explained why the defender is such a good skipper.
Azpilicueta became the Blues’ full-time captain in 2019 after the departure of and played his 200th game with the armband on in last week’s defeat at .
Ahead of Saturday’s clash with Wolves, Cech, now Chelsea’s Technical and performance advisor, hailed his former teammate for his contribution to the club.
‘If you count all the trophies, he [Azpilicueta] completed the whole set, including some as captain. Not everyone has that privilege of picking up the trophy,’ Cech wrote in his column for .
‘It shows how hard he worked throughout his career, and how well he played. It’s not only about being captain, it’s about playing well enough to be on the pitch regularly and being a key part of the team.
‘One thing that has always struck me about Azpi is that he is an honest player, he goes on the pitch and does his best, no matter what. He plays with the right commitment, with the right attitude, with his full heart.’
Azpilicueta moved to Stamford Bridge in 2012, and has so far won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the Champions League and two Europa Leagues, as well as various other accolades.
While he was linked with a move to Barcelona earlier this season, he recently committed his future to Chelsea, extending his contract to 2023.
‘He might occasionally make a mistake like everybody does, he might not always have a spectacular game, but you always know you will get a high level of performance from him,’ Cech added.
‘He’s not as vocal a leader as some others, but he leads by example. It’s not what you say, it’s what you do: how committed you are, what your preparation is like, how professional you are. That shows the other players how it’s done.
‘Being a club captain is not only that you wear the armband on the pitch, but you have certain duties towards the club. When people need help, you should be there to pass on what’s expected as a Chelsea player.
‘We have been lucky in the past to have big personalities and great captains, and it’s great to see Azpi took on the baton and carried it forward.’
Cech also revealed that while he skippered Chelsea 33 times during his long career in West London, he didn’t enjoy it for one specific reason.
‘As a captain, you always have to talk to the referees. I would love to speak to the ref, but if it happens in the opposition box, I’m 80 yards away!
‘I always used to delegate a team-mate and say to the ref if there was a problem 80 yards from me, speak to this player.
‘It was an honour to be the captain for the game, but from a goalkeeper perspective it didn’t make much sense. I found it not 100 per cent practical.’
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