My dad’s a Premier League legend and Chelsea icon, now I’m making my own way in football

PETR ČECH’s daughter is following in her father’s footsteps after she made her national team debut.

The Chelsea legend played in England for a decade and a half while also playing in goal for the Czech Republic for 14 years.

Reuters

Petr Čech’s daughter is following in his footsteps[/caption]

But the 42-year-old’s daughter, Adéla Cechová, has now taken the next steps in following her father’s career.

On Tuesday the 17-year-old made her debut for Czechia’s Under-17 national team.

She starred off the bench in a 3-0 defeat to Mexico in the MIMA Cup being held in Spain.

The tournament will also see Cechová taking on England and Scotland before the end of the current international break.

However, Cechová is a defender rather than a goalkeeper like her father.

Her coach, Daniel Šmejkal, says of her: “She’s a promising defender.

“Now we are taking her with us to Spain to train so that we can get to know her better.”

Cechová wears the number 21 on her back.

She has also kept her club football routes close to home, playing for Chelsea’s local rivals Fulham.

Tonight Cechová will have the chance to help her nation get a win on the board when they face England, before another opportunity presents itself against Scotland on Saturday.

Čech actually missed the birth of his daughter on January 23, 2008, because he was with the Chelsea team for a League Cup semi-final tie against Everton.

Chelsea would win the tie 2-1, although Cech did not play in the game – not even being named on the bench – with Hilario deputising in goal as picked by Avram Grant.

On missing her birth, Čech told People Magazine: “It was the best day of my life and at the same time the saddest.

“I was happy to be a father and proud of my wife, but sad to have missed the birth.

“My daughter decided she would come in the middle of the night without me being able to do anything, so I had to wait glued to the phone.”

Čech, who now plays ice hockey, has two children with his wife Martina.

They have a boy, named Damian, who is following more directly in his father’s footsteps, being a goalkeeper with the Under-15s at Fulham.

According to Czech outlet iDNES.cz, Čech does not want either of his children to play for Chelsea.

The publication explains: “She will always be ‘Čech’s daughter’, but I don’t think he will push her up.

“Quite the opposite, because he doesn’t want any of his children to play for a Chelsea team where he is a legend.

“Playing with the national team is a new football and life experience for her.”

Both of Cech’s children are kept away from the media spotlight in general and are said to be reluctant to give interviews.