Stephen Hunt has said it would’ve been very easy for Petr Cech to criticise him after he fractured his skull 13 years ago and thanked the goalkeeper for not taking an ‘easy shot.’
Earlier this week, the Arsenal shot-stopper announced he will be retiring from football at the end of the season, and it was back in October 2006 when he suffered the horrific injury after being caught in the head by the Irishman’s trailing leg in a match between Reading and Chelsea.
Once he was carried from the pitch, Cech had to undergo emergency surgery and has since been forced to wear a protective helmet as a result.
“I don’t know him personally, I don’t know him that well, but for him it would have been very easy to criticise me,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek show.
“It would have been an easy shot at me if he wanted and he never did, so that along the line of my career has helped me, I suppose, because if he did start firing some bullets at me or [had said] I was a disgrace or anything like that, then I would have been more scrutinised for the tackle.
“The fact that he has behaved the way he has all those years, I’m thankful of. He’s a wonderful keeper and, going forward, I’m sure he’ll be a success.”
Hunt was subsequently booed whenever he returned to Stamford Bridge and says he has constantly been reminded of that incident, which he put down to be overly eager to prove his capabilities in the Premier League.
“None of us wanted it to happen and it was unfortunate. It is what it is, unfortunately.
“I was devastated for him at the time and maybe when I look back on it, I could have done it in a different way as well.
“I was young and keen and hungry to do well in football and maybe the tackle was over-excited. It was my first Premier League start and I suppose only with life experience do you make mistakes and you try to move on.
“I was 24 and I’d waited seven, eight years to play in the Premier League. You’re playing games where you look at it and you go, ‘okay, it looks a bit harsh’. Did I mean it? Of course I didn’t
“It’s happened now and Petr has had to move on. He’s moving on with his life and he’s obviously going on to the next stage of his career and I’m sure he’ll be a success because I’ve met him afterwards and he’s been a gentleman and I really appreciate that.