Granit Xhaka once claimed former Arsenal star would ‘absolutely’ become a football manager – now he plays another sport professionally

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal have had a number of leaders on their books in recent times, many of whom have gone on to enjoy careers in football management.

Mikel Arteta is the primary example, with the Spaniard taking charge of the Gunners in 2019 after hanging up his boots at the Emirates in 2016.

Robin van Persie is now in the dugout at Feyenoord, while the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira have all had managerial jobs.

However, some players who boast leadership qualities in the dressing room never pursue post-retirement careers in coaching, and instead opt to venture into other industries.

• READ MORE: Former defender named surprise star who Mikel Arteta let leave for free as Arsenal’s best player

Granit Xhaka claimed Petr Cech was ‘the father’ at Arsenal and was convinced he’d go into management

Arsenal’s squad in the mid-2010s was full of big personalities and characters, despite the team’s general struggles on the pitch.

The likes of Granit Xhaka, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker dominated Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery’s dressing rooms, while Petr Cech was a major presence after arriving from Chelsea in 2015.

Speaking in an interview for Soccer AM back in 2018, when asked who the teacher’s pet was, Xhaka cited Cech.

“I think Petr Cech,” the Swiss said.

“He’s the father of the team. He organises everything. When we have questions or don’t know things, we go to Petr.

“He knows everything and can give you an answer straight away. When we need something, Petr has an answer for us.”

While Cech was at his best at Chelsea, he evidently assumed an important authoritative role in the dressing room at Arsenal.

Making 139 appearances for the Gunners between 2015 and 2019, the shot-stopper hung up his boots in 2019.

Xhaka was asked if he thought Cech would go into management, and he seemed convinced that this was an inevitability.

“Absolutely,” the midfielder said.

“Petr is a guy who likes to learn new things, who knows a lot. He speaks a lot of languages and that’s a big advantage for him.”

Petr Cech is now a professional Ice Hockey player

Cech isn’t remembered particularly fondly by Arsenal fans, as he’s synonymous with a summer window in which he was the only signing made by the club.

However, had he opted to pursue a coaching career, he might’ve had the opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of many Gunners supporters, had he returned to North London in some capacity.

To Xhaka’s surprise, Cech went down a completely different route, joining a professional Ice Hockey team shortly after his retirement from football.

The Czech began his career in the fourth tier of British Ice Hockey, before enjoying spells at the Chelmsford Chieftains, the Oxford City Stars and the Belfast giants.

He remains a goaltender in the sport, and it certainly doesn’t look like he’ll transition back to football to pursue coaching.