'This is a nightmare' – Ex-Chelsea & Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech opens up on facing 'relentless' Wayne Rooney for Man Utd

Petr Cech has explained that playing against Wayne Rooney was a "nightmare" during his time in the Premier League.

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• Cech played for Chelsea and Arsenal
• Came up against Rooney on multiple occasions
• Shocked by how good the striker was

• Table of Contents

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Cech was asked about some of his toughest opponents and reserved special praise for Manchester United legend Rooney. The pair went up against each other 27 times; Rooney won 10 while Cech won 11, and the remainder ended as draws.

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• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The former Czech Republic international claims that Rooney is simply too good to prepare for, as he is capable of "everything", including potentially scoring from the halfway line. However, he claims that the ex-England captain brought the best out of him whenever the pair clashed.

• WHAT PETR CECH SAID

  Cech told Amazon Prime: "Wayne Rooney was the one, like when we played United in the league, he was always the one. I was like 'oh, come on, this is a nightmare'. Because he can chip you from the halfway line and he's relentless, he's everywhere. He keeps coming, he keeps pressing, and never gives you half a second. So it was always the preparation even from the goalkeeper coach.

  "He always said: 'You know we play Rooney, he can do anything'. I said, 'yeah, unfortunately.' I said, 'I can't cheat' because he will see that. But there's many ways you can play with people but generally, when you play against the top players, they will always find a way and it becomes challenging. This is what I loved about the Champions League or the Premier League because you play against the best players, and it brings the best out of you as well."

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Cech is currently playing ice hockey for Oxford City Stars, while Rooney is looking for a new job after being sacked by Plymouth.