Jose Mourinho says he is honoured to have given Petr Cech his first start in English football.
Cech announced today that he is set to retire at the end of the season after a 20-year career.
The Czech goalkeeper was signed from Rennes by former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri in 2004, one season before Mourinho arrived for his first spell at Stamford Bridge.
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He arrived in England as one of the most highly-rated young goalkeepers in world football and made his Premier League debut in a 1-0 win over Manchester United in August 2004, at the beginning of Mourinho’s first title-winning campaign.