Star Sees Himself Staying At Chelsea For Long Haul

Petr Cech believes that he will stay at Chelsea for the long term, with the keeper currently finalising a new contract with the club to continue as the club's number one stopper.

Cech has been with Chelsea for eight and a half years now, and the 29 year old has completely cemented his place in the side's starting line-up.

With the summer purchase of Thibaut Courtois, Cech's position was reportedly seen as shaky for the first time in years at Chelsea, but now a deal until 2017 is looking likely for the Czech international.

And Cech, who has now made almost 250 appearances for Chelsea since making the move to Stamford Bridge in 2004, admits he can't imagine his future with any other club.

When asked if a new deal is close, the stopper told the Evening Standard: "Yes, I think so and we will not have a problem.

"There are a lot of matches at this time of year so we agreed [before Christmas] that both sides would prepare for the negotiations and meet to resolve it when there is time for that.

"The last few weeks have been hectic and we [agreed] to meet after New Year's Day.

"I have been here for seven years and I have been more or less a regular starter, so I'm more than happy to stay.

"Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be at a club who are among the best in the world.

"Chelsea are in the world's top competition, so I have no reason to leave. I would like to see myself staying here."

While at 29 most players would struggle to get a seven year deal at a club, keepers are known to last much longer than other positions, and though Cech feels the pressure of continuing to perform for one of Europe's top teams, the keeper is relishing in the possibility of continuing to challenge for trophies across the board.

"It is difficult to leave the best League in the world and if you take a look around, you will not see many teams of Chelsea's category that would be looking to sign a new goalkeeper," he explained.

"If I would like to try something new, then it would have to be a club of a similar level to Chelsea.

"You never know, everything happens fast in the football life. You can sign a 10-year contract with a club and then end up leaving after three years.

"I'm 29-years-old and I believe that there is still time for a possible change."