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Thibaut Courtois tells Petr Cech he should leave Chelsea - and he'd do the same if he was No 2

Young Belgian says Cech is one of the best there is but will want to play

Tom Sheen
Saturday 15 November 2014 15:51 GMT
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Chelsea No 1 Thibaut Courtois has told his Stamford Bridge rival Petr Cech that he should leave the club to get first-team football.

Courtois, 22, was made the club's first-choice by Jose Mourinho at the beginning of the season and has so far started all 11 Premier League matches, putting in some impressive displays.

Cech, 32, has been restricted to appearing in the Capital One Cup and the Champions League matches against Maribor - though he did come on as a substitute in the win against Arsenal - after spending 10 years as the club's No 1.

The Czech goalkeeper has been linked with a January exit from the club, with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain believed to be leading the race.

"As a goalkeeper you want to play," Courtois told Sky Sports when asked if he was surprised at the rumours.

"If I was in that situation where I didn't play a lot, then I would leave too. I think Petr is still a goalkeeper with a lot of quality and one of the best there is."

Speaking earlier this week, Cech said his future is in the hands of the club as he still has two years left to run on his current deal.

"Regarding my future at Chelsea, it depends entirely on the club," he told CTK.

"Everyone is asking me what if and what will happen. As a player, who has two years left on his contract, I cannot make the choice. It is simple. If the club says, 'You are staying here', then I will be staying. That’s why I’m staying.

"I can only leave if the club lets me go. And that is not the case. As a player with a two-year contract, I have absolutely no chance of influencing the wishes of the club.

"I am doing my best to change the situation. I want to play as often as possible and be prepared to be as good as possible for the fixtures what will come in the new year.

"To try and perform at my best is the only thing I can do."

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