David Rozehnal remains involved in football at 46, more than 15 years after a career that took him from Paris to Rome, brought six trophies and included Champions League and World Cup appearances.

The former Czech Republic defender, the only Czech player to wear the PSG shirt, is now in his eighth year living in Olomouc. He still plays for his home village of Kozusany, despite a troublesome knee, and has not gained weight since retiring from the professional game. His life now centres on his family, investments and charity work.

In an interview with Flashscore, Rozehnal discussed his work with the Czech Republic Under-20 side, his memories of EURO 2004, and spells with PSG, Newcastle United and Lille.

Helping the next generation

Rozehnal has worked with the current Under-20 group since the players were Under-16s. He supports the coaching staff but does not regard himself as an assistant, even though the players call him that.

“They see me as part of the team. I support them,” he said. “I want them to take confidence, perspective and experience from me.”

The Czech side recently beat Switzerland 5-2 at a tournament in Portugal before losing 2-0 to Poland and 5-0 to Portugal. Rozehnal said the results showed they could compete when fully focused, but believed Portugal’s players were operating at a higher level.

“Some of our players are already playing league football, but the Portuguese were on another level,” he said. “The main work lies with the players and the clubs.”

He said modern football was more demanding and physical than when he was developing, although young players now had better resources available to them. He watches defensive training closely and passes information to the bench at half-time after sitting with the analyst in matches.

Rozehnal also believes Czech football must learn from stronger nations.

“We are still behind, but I see potential,” he said. “We do not know best. There are better coaches in the world. We should learn from them.”

EURO 2004 and the PSG move

Portugal brought back memories of EURO 2004, where Rozehnal won a bronze medal and made a substitute appearance in the 3-2 victory over the Netherlands.

“I was part of a fantastic team and learned from the best,” he said. “It was an invaluable experience.”

The semi-final defeat by Greece still causes frustration.

“It should have been at least a final,” he said of the 1-0 extra-time loss. “Under coach Bruckner, we played attractive, constructive and pressing football. If we had got through that one match, we might have gone on to win the title.”

After winning a trophy in Belgium, Rozehnal joined PSG, despite interest from Dortmund. He played almost every match during his first season, including 60 games before travelling to Germany for the World Cup, and later operated in central midfield.

“From a footballing perspective, I liked Paris the most,” he said. “I felt indestructible.”

The PSG squad included Sylvain Armand, Pedro Pauleta, Vikash Dhorasoo and Jerome Rothen, while Mario Yepes played alongside him in defence. Rozehnal recalled a calmer club before the arrival of the Qatari owners, when PSG and Marseille dominated French football and the Parc des Princes was divided between two loudly competing stands.

He also remembered arriving in an old Golf and parking next to Rothen’s Ferrari.

“The people at the gate were tapping their heads, wondering who I was,” he said.

Pauleta once mentioned a young Cristiano Ronaldo while the pair were in the sauna. Rozehnal later faced Ronaldo at Newcastle United.

“This guy is going to be good!” Pauleta told him. “I realised that at Newcastle, when Ronaldo sped past me for United like he was on a motorbike.”

Rozehnal’s second season in Paris ended with PSG finishing 15th and avoiding relegation four matches before the end. New manager Guy Lacombe moved him into midfield, where he enjoyed seeing more of the ball despite the results.

He was later told he had been named PSG’s player of the season, although he never received the award because he left for Newcastle United.

“I would like to claim it,” he said. “Maybe I will go and collect that trophy one day.”

Lille and Eden Hazard

Rozehnal admitted he regretted leaving PSG for Newcastle, where he struggled, saying his wife Petka had taught him to trust his first instinct.

He remains fond of the modern PSG under Luis Enrique and hopes to visit the club’s new training centre. He also remembers kit man Nacerdine Sekai, known as Didi, and saw him celebrate PSG’s Champions League triumph.

Before that success, Rozehnal was part of the Lille team that beat PSG to a league and cup double. He spent five seasons with Lille, more than at any other club, because of its family atmosphere and the stability it offered his family.

That was also where he played with Eden Hazard and Gervinho.

“Hazard was just coming to the fore,” Rozehnal said. “It was obvious after his first year that he would become one of the best players on the planet.”

He described Hazard as a normal person who never behaved like a star, although he joked that the Belgian could be a “bit of a slacker in training”.

“A game-changer,” Rozehnal added. “I like him very much.”

Rozehnal said Lille valued him even when he was a substitute and that he generally played 20 matches a season, or 25 when cup games were included.

His advice to young players is simple: establish whether they truly love football, understand that progress requires hard work and, above all, remain good people.

“You know perfectly well that you have to work your way up,” he said. “It will not simply fall into your lap.”