Petr Cech on Friday announced his retirement from international football with the Czech Republic.
The 34-year-old, a goalkeeper with Arsenal Football Club of England, is his country’s most capped player with 121 appearances, having made his debut in 2002.
He was part of the Czech side which reached the semi-finals at Euro 2004, losing to eventual champions Greece.
“When I was a kid, my ultimate dream was to play for the national team at least once,’’ he told Arsenal’s website.
“Having done it so many times makes me really proud.’’
His retirement is coming after his country’s group stage exit at Euro 2016, playing all three games for the Czech Republic who could only manage one point in Group D.
“This is a purely football-based decision.
“If I want to prolong my career and play at the highest level for as long as I can, then I will probably need to find the balance so that I can continue to do so,” he added.
“I’m now 34 and the next (international) tournament is in two years which, in football, is a very long time.
“The last thing I wanted to do was start a campaign and then say `I don’t think it’s right for me to continue’ halfway through it.’’
Cech moved to Arsenal in June last year after spending 11 years across London at Chelsea, where he won four titles and the Champions League trophy in 2012.
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