Cech challenges new colleagues

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech said his new team-mates must be hungry to show they deserve to be part of the Champions League-winning side.

The west London club have already added Eden Hazard and Marko Marin to their ranks this off-season, with Brazilian midfielder Oscar likely to join and Wigan forward Victor Moses another target.

And Cech said it is important the new players show the desire and winning mentality to become a part of a successful team.

“It was a huge moment in our history to win the Champions League and now it feels like a new era at Chelsea because we have a new manager and quite a lot of new players,” the 30-year-old told reporters.

“Some big characters have left us and we will only see the personalities of the new players emerging when the season starts properly.

“We still have experienced players but now we have the positive, new, young players who are hungry and motivated, which is great.

“The challenge for them is to show they are not just here by accident, that they are quality players who deserve to be a part of this Chelsea team.

“It’s a similar situation to when I joined in 2004. You had the guys who had experience and I was one of eight players coming in, hungry and ready to show we were worth it.

“We have that mentality at Chelsea and that’s why we have won so many trophies every year.

“You cannot buy that winning mentality, you can only get it from people who have already got it. So we hope we never lose that.

“But when you bring in new players it’s a huge chance for them to make their life and their careers. And you can see that they will all go for it.”

Cech is now one of the oldest players at the club following the departures of Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Jose Bosingwa and Alex, but is happy with his career and insisted he will only quit football when he no longer has the hunger to travel and play.

He added: “This is my ninth season at the club and I always knew I was going to stay. I’m happy at Chelsea because I feel a big part of an ambitious and successful club and there was no need for me to change. I enjoy being a part of this circus.

“When I joined I was one of the youngest and even though I’m now one of the oldest, I’m still only 30. I still have the same hunger and appetite for this club as I did when I arrived.

“When the day comes that I don’t have the hunger to go through pre-season and then travel all over the world for 60 games, that’s when I will stop.

“But even playing in these pre-season games, I still get goose bumps when I run out onto the pitch. That has never changed since my first day at this club.”