Chelsea great Petr Cech has released an emotional statement on the 20th anniversary of his injury at Reading, which almost cost him his life, thanking the staff who helped save him.
The Czech goalkeeper, then in his absolute peak in Jose Mourinho's dominant side, was on the unfortunate side of a clash that would prove defining. Aged just 24, he collided with Reading's Stephen Hunt in the first minute of the game at the Madejski Stadium and remained down on the ground.
After receiving medical attention on the pitch for an extended period, he was later transferred to the Radcliffe Infirmary's specialist neuro-surgical unit in Oxford that night.
Surgery and recovery
Cech underwent surgery for a depressed fracture of the skull after he was injured. He would later return to continue his career, but sporting head gear that would become synonymous with him as the Premier League icon reflected on those who saved his life, and the change in rules that came about as a result.
He said on social media: "Yesterday it was 20 years since the 'famous' Reading away game. I kept this post for today as everyone seemed to be talking about it yesterday.
"It is undeniably the day that greatly impacted the Premier League, football fans, my closest and of course myself. After 20 years there are many ways to look at it but let's put the whole story into perspective."
Rule changes and gratitude
Cech went on to say how it made him further appreciate his love for football and how precious life can be. He also underlined the benefits that came from brain training, which he took up afterwards.
The Chelsea great went on to say: "The iconic helmet was born. The Premier League changed the rules around the player's medical safety and the paramedics were present attended every game ever since (and saved many lives in the process).
"To conclude my thoughts, 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."
Tribute to Stephen Hunt
Cech also made a mention to Hunt at the end, stating that they've never spoken about the incident after hugging at the end of a game at Stamford Bridge. "We agreed not to talk about it too much and leave it behind us.. we keep the word," he concluded.
