Former Premier League goalkeeper Petr Cech to play ice hockey for the Belfast Giants in Ukraine charity game

Former Arsenal and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech will play for a Belfast Giants All Stars side on Wednesday night in a charity match at the SSE Arena.

All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to charity Ukrainian Hockey Dream to support their work to reinstate ice hockey throughout Ukraine in challenging times because of the ongoing conflict.

The Giants' team will consist of former and current players, along with a number of special guests.

The former Premier League goalkeeper played over 440 Premier League games during a decorated 15-year career and represented Czech Republic national team 124 times.

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After calling time on his impressive football career, Cech turned his attention towards his other passion – ice hockey – and signed for side Guildford Phoenix in October 2019 before moving to Chelmsford Chieftains in November 2022 after a successful stint.

The 40-year-old left his role as technical and performance adviser at Chelsea last June, having held the position since 2019.

He is looking forward to the night in Belfast although he says it is not his first time in the city.

“It’s going to be great to come back to Belfast as I have great memories of winning the UEFA Super Cup there a few years ago with Chelsea, and I’m looking forward to making some more on Wednesday night," Cech said.

Ice hockey fans in the city will feel spoiled having just witnessed Adam Keefe’s Giants side make history by completing an unprecedented treble, winning the Elite League Play-Offs Final against Cardiff Devils on Sunday Night for their third trophy of the campaign.

The former football goalkeeper said he was especially excited at the prospect of taking part in the event given the recent success of the Giants.

"With the Belfast Giants having just completed the treble, I don’t doubt that there will be a good feel and atmosphere around The SSE Arena, Belfast," he added.

"It’s a charity game for a great cause, and I’m always happy to help and support wherever possible to help change the lives of other people. I hope that everyone will come along on Wednesday night to both enjoy the occasion and cheer on both teams.”

Steve Thornton, head of hockey at the Stena Line Belfast Giants, said: "We are incredibly pleased that Petr has agreed to join the Belfast Giants All Stars team for this one-off charity game in support of Ukrainian Hockey Dream.

“Petr is no stranger to success having won a number of accolades across both his professional football and ice hockey careers, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome him to The SSE Arena, Belfast for this special game."

The participation of the decorated goalkeeper in the exhibition match, given his profile among football and ice-hockey fans alike, will no doubt help the registered Ukrainian charity raise money from tickets sales which will go towards over 7,000 young players across 100 clubs and 15 schools in the country.