Chelsea Football Club is delighted to confirm that Petr Cech has signed a new five-year contract.

The deal was completed late last week but announced as the team touched down today (Monday) in Guangzhou, China for the Samsung Asia Tour 2008.

The Czech international has been at Chelsea FC for four seasons having arrived in the summer of 2004 from Rennes. His new deal will take him to 2013.

Cech said: 'It is an honour to be at a club like Chelsea and I am very happy to have renewed my contract with them. Chelsea has grown in my heart, not just because of my team mates and all the people that work for the club but also because of their fantastic fans.

'I gave my first interview when I arrived at Chelsea in 2004 and I had said that it had been my dream to play for one of the best clubs in the world and in the best league in the world - this came true and I am very pleased my dream will last.

'Personally I have to say I cannot wait for the new season to start. I am confident that it will be a very successful season for all of us.'

The news was welcomed by manager Luiz Felipe Scolari and Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon.

Scolari said: 'I am delighted that Petr has signed a new contract. In my view he is the best goalkeeper in the world, so I am very pleased that he will remain with me at Chelsea.'

Kenyon added: 'I think everybody agrees with Felipe's assessment that Petr is the best goalkeeper in the world so naturally we are very happy he has committed his long term future to us.

'He has been a key player in the club's success in the last four years. He has also shown himself throughout this time to be a top professional and is a great ambassador for the club on and off the field.'

Cech has played a total of 166 games for Chelsea in all competitions with 90 clean sheets.

In the 2004/05 season, Cech was awarded with the Barclays Premiership Golden Gloves, as he set a new record in top flight football for not conceding a goal in 1,024 minutes and for the most clean sheets (21) in a single Premier League season.

Cech was also voted Uefa's Most Valuable Goalkeeper in 2005/06 season, along with being awarded the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) World's Best Goalkeeper award in 2005.

The news of Cech's deal is another boost for Scolari following on from the announcement of Wayne Bridge's new contract last week.