Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has revealed that he retired from international football in order to prolong his club career.
The 34-year-old announced his decision to end his time with Czech Republic earlier today, hanging up his gloves having made a record 121 appearances for his country.
Cech has now revealed that the decision was for footballing reasons in order to continue playing at the highest club level for as long as possible.
"I think I've reached the point where I believe that if I want to continue doing things to 100% every day, like I've always done, then I will probably need more time to rest and recover. 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 told Arsenal Player.
"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. I've made fantastic memories and I will keep them. But as I said, you cannot stop time and sometimes you need to make decisions looking to the future. I believe it is the right move.
"When I was a kid, my ultimate dream was to play for the national team at least once. Having done it so many times makes me really proud. You look back at the Czech and Czechoslovakian history and you see so many great names and players. I managed to play more games than them, which shows the consistency and quality of my game."
Cech appeared in five major tournaments for the Czech Republic, including helping his side to a third-place finish at Euro 2004.
Barney Corkhill
