Petr Cech marks 20 years since skull fracture with heartfelt thanks to staff who saved his life

Petr Cech has spoken publicly about the head injury that nearly ended his life, releasing a heartfelt statement on the 20th anniversary of the incident at the Madejski Stadium that left the Chelsea goalkeeper with a depressed fracture of the skull.

Cech was just 24 and at the peak of his powers in José Mourinho’s dominant Chelsea side when he collided with Reading’s Stephen Hunt in the first minute of a Premier League fixture in October 2006. He was treated on the pitch for an extended period before being transferred to the Radcliffe Infirmary’s specialist neuro-surgical unit in Oxford, where he underwent emergency surgery that night.

Posting on social media, Cech reflected on the full weight of what that day meant. “It is undeniably the day that greatly impacted the Premier League, football fans, my closest and of course myself,” he wrote. “After 20 years there are many ways to look at it but let’s put the whole story into perspective.”

The Czech goalkeeper acknowledged the difficulty of his recovery, admitting he had serious doubts at times about whether he would play again, but said the experience taught him valuable lessons and deepened his appreciation for both football and life itself. He also credited brain training — which he took up following the injury — as a significant part of his rehabilitation.

Beyond the personal, Cech pointed to lasting changes the incident brought about in English football. “The Premier League changed the rules around the player’s medical safety and the paramedics were present at every game ever since — and saved many lives in the process,” he noted, alongside the protective helmet that became his trademark for the remainder of his career.

His statement closed with a direct message to those who treated him. “I would like to say thank you again to the medical teams and the Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford for giving me the chance to live and allowing me to carry on playing the game I loved, break some records and made millions of fans happy through winning trophies — and the most precious part — I could become a father.”

Cech also addressed his relationship with Hunt, revealing the two men hugged at the end of a later match at Stamford Bridge and quietly agreed to leave the incident behind them. “We keep the word,” he wrote.