Van's the man for Cech

Chelsea custodian Cech would have almost certainly pushed his Manchester United rival close had he not spent three months out of action with a career-threatening skull injury sustained in a collision with Reading's Stephen Hunt back in October.

"He has been voted the best goalkeeper this year and I voted for him. I think he had a great season and you always need a good goalkeeper to be successful," said Cech.

"They won the league and he was solid for the whole campaign. I don't know him personally and have only met him a few times when we played Holland or Manchester United.

"I saw him when he was still playing for Ajax in the Champions League final. At that time he was a great example when the new role came that the goalkeeper cannot pick up back passes.

"Everybody could see that he was playing well with both feet and they were using him a lot.

"He showed that in the future everyone should develop their kicking. When he played in that final I was 13, it was 1995, and for me he was a good example for one of the ways I should work."

As an example of the goalkeeper's union at its best, Cech's injury saw him receive messages of goodwill and support from all his counterparts - even one from the entire United team.

Cech recalled: "I got messages from different Premiership clubs and from other goalkeepers all around the world when I got my injury.

"It just shows goalkeepers stick together. I got a fax from the whole Manchester United team and everybody was there."