Petr Cech admits he's playing for his future as he awaits Arsenal contract offer

Petr Cech has admitted he is playing for his Arsenal future with the club yet to offer him a contract extension.

The 36-year-old goalkeeper has less than 12 months on his existing deal and faces renewed competition following the Gunners’ decision to sign Bernd Leno from Bayer Leverkusen for £19.2million in the summer.

But Cech has started all five Premier League games this season, with Unai Emery keen to give him a chance to prove he can play out from the back — a key component of Arsenal’s new style.

Cech’s performances have not been without the odd scare but three successive wins have lifted the team to seventh in the table.

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Asked whether he was any clearer where he would be playing next season, Cech said: “I’m in the last year of the contract so I guess it depends on my performances, the way I play and the way I stay fit throughout the season. Then we’ll see what happens next.”

Leno is expected to start Arsenal’s opening Europa League game when Vorskla Poltava visit Emirates Stadium tomorrow and Cech insisted he is relishing the challenge posed by a rival team-mate 10 years his junior.

“When you bring players in you do that to improve the squad and to make it competitive and Bernd is here, trains every day and tries to get his spot which keeps everyone in the goalkeeping group on their toes including me, obviously,” said Cech.

“I have to work hard not only to make sure the manager picks me for the weekend but as well that he sticks with me.

“The goalkeeper situation is complicated as only one can play so the competition is bigger and at the moment I’ve been playing and I try to do my best and hope the manager is happy with my performances. I’ve always had great goalkeepers — David Ospina was great as was Carlo Cudicini and Hilario — behind me who pushed me all my career so I have to make sure I’m ready.

“In sport this is the way it goes — you always have someone waiting for your failure so they can jump in and you have to find a way to keep your spot.”

Cech retired from international football in 2016 and believes an end to his playing days with the Czech Republic is helping to prolong his club career and he remains open-minded about when he might call it a day altogether.

“It is a question I don’t know the answer to because I always say the motivation will be the key to how long I’m going to play,” he added. “I don’t like doing things at 95 per cent — I always want to do things at 100 per cent and you have to be fit enough to do that.

“So, it’ll be a question of whether my body is fit enough to allow me to do that and if my head is fit, too, if the motivation stays the same, I’d like to carry on.”