Goalkeeper signing represents sensible business by Chelsea

Chelsea confirmed the signing of former Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer on Tuesday on a free transfer.

The 40-year-old signed a one-year deal and will join Jose Mourinho’s squad to provide a more able backup to Petr Cech.

Schwarzer told the club’s official website:

“It’s a phenomenal club. It’s one of the biggest and best clubs in the world, and it’s an honour to sign for Chelsea. I didn’t take much convincing to come here.”

(ChelseaFC.com)

Chelsea will be the fourth club that the Australian has played for in England after spells with Bradford, Middlesbrough and Fulham, so he brings 15 years of experience of the English game with him and he became the first overseas player to play 500 Premier League appearances last season.

Despite his age he has been very much at the top of his game was ranked as Castrol EDGE’s top goalkeeper for the 2012/13 Premier League season.

The signing represents a bit of shrewd business by the Chelsea board and the links with John Ruddy, who was valued at far too much, could have been a smokescreen. Being as reliable as he is it’d be a relief for the fans as there hasn’t really been a good enough backup option to Cech for a number of seasons now which led to panic every time the Czech Republic international picked up an injury.

Schwarzer says that he’s honoured to join the club and after the career he’s had he deserves to pick up an honour or two and will be able to do that, even though he won’t be playing as regularly as he may have done elsewhere.

Realistically he’ll probably play every game that we’re in the Capital One Cup, at least the early rounds of the FA Cup as well as a few games in the Champions League and league. He’s also better competition for Cech than anyone we’ve had since Carlo Cudicini, not that I think he’d usurp him but it’ll keep our number one on his toes a little more.

I think common sense prevailed here. Happy with the signing.

Source: ChelseaFC.com