‘I’ve watched 30 goalkeepers in the last 18 months and he was the one who came to mind’: Petr Cech was struck by talent of Edouard Mendy and reveals role in spotting Chelsea No 1
- Petr Cech reveals that he played a part in Chelsea’s signing of Edouard Mendy
- Cech was hugely impressed when he watched the 28-year-old at Rennes
- Frank Lampard revealed Mendy gave him advice ahead of facing his old club
Petr Cech has revealed that he was hugely impressed by the talent of Edouard Mendy when Chelsea were considering a move for the goalkeeper.
After enduring much frustration in the goalkeeping department as Kepa Arrizabalaga frequently made mistakes, Mendy has been a considerably calmer presence between the sticks since making the switch from Rennes in September.
Cech, Chelsea’s technical advisor, disclosed that he played a part in the signing of Mendy and admitted that the 28-year-old stood out amidst the 30 goalkeepers that he watched.
Petr Cech revealed that he was very impressed by Edouard Mendy’s performances at Rennes
Cech said: ‘I gave my input [on Mendy’s signing], because we wanted to add a slightly different type of keeper. With Kepa going through a difficult moment, we decided to add to our goalkeeping group.
‘I have to give credit to Christophe Lollichon when he spoke to me three-and-a-half years ago because he told me to watch him.
‘I started following him at Arsenal. I’ve watched 30 goalkeepers over the last year and a half, but I kept following Edouard and when it came to what we wanted, his name came to mind.’
Cech disclosed that he played a part in signing Mendy, who stood out from other goalkeepers
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard revealed Mendy gave him details about his former club Rennes
Mendy has received much praise for his performances for Chelsea so far and will certainly benefit from the advice of a club legend in Cech.
Cech himself has been registered as a non-contact player in the Premier League, but it is anticipated that Mendy will play the majority of games for Frank Lampard’s side.
There was a special occasion for Mendy on Wednesday night as he was in action against his former side Rennes in the Champions League.
Speaking before the game, Lampard revealed that Mendy gave him ‘a lot of detail’ about the French side.
Lampard told BT Sport: ‘I’ve had that conversation with him and he gave me a lot of detail. He plays for us now and he’s very respectful of what Rennes did for him in his career, so I think it’s a nice story of him coming and playing against them.’
The Chelsea manager also praised Mendy’s personality and the impact that he’s made since joining Chelsea.
Lampard said: ‘I’m hopeful and pretty sure, from seeing his personality in the short time he’s been here, that they will have nice feelings about Edou, as well as him having nice feelings about them.
‘It doesn’t take anything away from it being a tough match and, not a pivotal match, but when you look at where the group is, it’s a big game for us. It’s in our hands tonight.’