Chelsea’s new signing Gabriel Slonina has revealed he almost thought Petr Cech’s phone call to him was fake prior to signing a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge.
The 18-year-old signed for Chelsea back in August on a six-year deal, worth a reported £12 million from Chicago Fire. He is currently in America finishing the MLS season with Chicago Fire before heading to England.
Slonina caught the attention of Petr Cech, the former Technical and Performance Advisor in west London, and it was the ex-Chelsea goalkeeper who made the phone call to try to convince the American to make the move.
A deal was in the pipeline prior to former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich being sanctioned by the UK Government, eventually selling the club to the consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in May.
But the deal stalled, however Chelsea still won the transfer pursuit despite interest from Real Madrid to sign the highly-rated teenager.
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Prior to penning his transfer, Slonina was contacted by Cech and has admitted he almost thought it wasn’t true, but was honoured to have been spoken to by a club legend.
“My friends always sent me screenshots of the internet rumours and my names with one of the best clubs in the world,” Slonina told Standard Sport on his move to Chelsea.
“It is still a bit weird as Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs and to think where I started from to get to that point is unbelievable.
“I almost thought it was fake (when Cech called). I had to listen in to make sure it was him, luckily I didn’t hang up. I couldn’t believe that I was talking to Petr Cech so to listen to him and his advice was an honour.
“I was super impressed that he knew my game. It shows how to conduct yourself when you get to a certain place in life.
“It is a credit to him and what a legend he is that he is trying to inspire younger keepers. He is a great guy.”
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Slonina will face competition at Chelsea with Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga vying for the number one spot under Graham Potter, but the American is focusing on putting himself in the best position when he swaps America for England at the start of 2023.
He added: “I am grinding, waking up before the sun rises and going to sleep super early because when I look back at 34 years old, I will thank myself that I did all that.
“I want to leave a good image and representation of myself before I join Chelsea.”
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Topics: Gabriel Slonina, Chelsea, Petr Cech, Football
Matthew Debono