Petr Cech is back in football, included in Chelsea’s Premier League squad as emergency cover for goalkeeping options.
Cech spent over a decade at Chelsea, becoming a club legend with numerous titles, before retiring last year after his time at Arsenal.
Since retiring, Cech was appointed as Chelsea’s technical adviser, and now the possibility of him returning to the pitch exists, particularly if injuries arise among current players.
He is not the first player to make a surprising comeback, so here are five notable footballers who returned from retirement:
Roger Milla
Roger Milla is remembered for his standout performances at the 1990 World Cup with Cameroon. He had retired two years earlier and moved to play for a club in Reunion when Cameroon’s president called him back.
Milla agreed and played in the 1990 tournament at 38, becoming one of its stars. He helped Cameroon reach the knockout stage, scoring four goals, including two in matches against Romania and Colombia.
Incredibly, he returned for the 1994 World Cup in the U.S., where he set the record as the oldest goalscorer in the tournament’s history at 42 with a goal against Russia.
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Marc Overmars
Marc Overmars, known for his speed, had a successful career at Ajax, Arsenal, and Barcelona, winning various titles. He retired due to injuries after four years at Barcelona but made a comeback during a testimonial match for Jaap Stam.
His impressive performance in that match led to interest from top clubs, but he chose to return to his first club, Go Ahead Eagles, over four years after retiring at Barcelona.
Overmars played one season and made 24 appearances but injuries limited his effectiveness.
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Carlos Roa
Former Argentina goalkeeper Carlos Roa retired not due to injury but because he believed in an impending apocalypse. At the height of his career, he left football for a religious retreat, thinking the world would end at the millennium.
When the new year arrived without an apocalypse, Roa returned to Mallorca a year later to finish his contract, though he struggled to regain his previous form.
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Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes retired from Manchester United in 2011 after winning his tenth league title. Less than a year later, he was named on the bench for an FA Cup match, marking an unexpected return.
Having been part of the coaching staff, Scholes approached Sir Alex Ferguson about coming back, and Ferguson welcomed the idea. Scholes played for six more months and helped the team secure an 11th league title.
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Arjen Robben
Recently, Arjen Robben, a former Chelsea teammate of Cech, returned to play in his home country after initially retiring. Known for his time at Bayern Munich, Robben retired at 35 but made a comeback a year later at FC Groningen.
He came up through the academy at Groningen and made his second debut against PSV, though he had to leave the game after just 29 minutes due to a groin injury.
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