Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has backed Gunners goalkeeper Petr Cech to emulate former Manchester United stopper Edwin van der Sar and play until he is 40 years old.

Van der Sar signed for Manchester United in 2005 and retired from football in 2011 while at Old Trafford at the age of 40, having won the Premier League and the Champions League with the club.

Cech, who turns 36 next May, has been backed by Wenger to extend his playing career following the introduction of a personal weight-loss programme.

"[Cech] gets older - we all do that. But as he gets older, I think he is fitter than ever," Wenger told the Evening Standard. "He puts a lot of attention to the preparation. He is slimmer than before. I think he benefits from that.

"I remember Van der Sar, Manchester United, I compare them. They are intelligent, they have great similar size, similar quality.

"Van der Sar stopped at the end because he decided to stop. Man United wanted him to stay one year longer. I don't rule it out, but that will only be down to the performances."

Cech has been a key man for Arsenal this season and has been consistently involved in Wenger's teams since signing from Chelsea in 2015.