Thibaut Courtois (born 1992) is a Belgian football player, currently playing as a goalkeeper for Real Madrid in La Liga. Let's explore with GavangTV through the following article.
Biography of Thibaut Courtois
In the Belgian town of Brée on May 11, 1992, Thibaut Courtois was born. As a child, Courtois was interested in many sports, including tennis, basketball and volleyball, but he eventually chose to focus on soccer. Before joining the youth system of Racing Genk, one of the strongest teams in Belgium, he started his career playing for neighboring team Bilzen VV.
After impressing recruiters and joining his youth team, Racing Genk gave him a try.
He and Koen Casteels, a player of the same age who was considered to have higher potential and had been selected for the youth national team, had a fierce rivalry as they rose through the ranks at Genk.
Thibaut Courtois' career
Club career
Courtois was born in the city of Bree in Flanders, to a Walloon father and a Flemish mother. He started his career with local team Bilzen VV, as a left back. Soon after, in 1999, he joined Racing Genk at the age of seven, and it was there that he became a goalkeeper.
Courtois progressed through the Genk youth system, where Koen Casteels was initially considered the main goalkeeper, but during an injury crisis, Courtois, then 16 years and 341 days old, made his first team debut on 17 April 2009 against Gent. After turning down a move to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim of the Bundesliga, Courtois became first choice goalkeeper for the 2010–11 season.
He was a key figure in Genk's title-clinching victory in the 2010–11 Belgian Professional Football League season. He received Genk's Goalkeeper of the Year and Player of the Year awards, conceding just 32 goals throughout 40 league matches and keeping 14 clean sheets for Genk.
Thibaut Courtois joined Chelsea in 2011 but was immediately loaned to Atlético Madrid for 3 seasons, he played 3 consecutive seasons in Atlético Madrid from 2011-2014. Here, he quickly became the official goalkeeper and contributed greatly to the team's achievements: winning the 2012 UEFA Europa League, 2013 Copa del Rey and 2014 La Liga.
Thibaut Courtois' career
International career
Courtois was first called up to the Belgium squad in October 2011 and made his debut the following month in a 0-0 friendly draw with France at the Stade de France, making him the youngest goalkeeper to play for the Belgian national team.
At the 2014 World Cup, Courtois played every minute of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, as Belgium qualified for their first major tournament since the 2002 FIFA World Cup. During these qualifiers, he kept six clean sheets in ten matches. On May 13, 2014, Courtois was named in the squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
At Euro 2016, Courtois played every minute of Belgium's first eight matches of the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, helping the team qualify for the tournament for the first time in 16 years. However, he missed their last two matches due to injury.
At the 2018 World Cup, Courtois was selected in Belgium's final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He was Belgium's first-choice goalkeeper throughout the tournament and played a key role in Belgium's 2–1 victory over Brazil in the quarter-finals, helping Belgium progress to the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time since 1986.
International career
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Competing style
Considered a promising prospect at a young age, Courtois has established himself as one of the best players in the world in his position. Thanks to his many skills, he has been described as a "well-rounded goalkeeper", with very few weaknesses.
A consistent goalkeeper, he possesses an excellent positional sense, good mentality, composure, strength of character, and the ability to communicate well with his defenders; He also excels in one-on-one situations, thanks to his ability to time his runs effectively when rushing out of goal to face opponents.
During the 2016–17 season, he credited his goalkeeper coach at Chelsea under manager Antonio Conte, Gianluca Spinelli, for helping him improve his overall play and goalkeeper technique, especially his footwork and diving, helping him become more explosive and get on the ground quicker.
Due to his height and arm span, he was very good in the air, and was also known for his command of his area, as well as his excellent technique, anticipation, handling and confidence when leaving the line to catch crosses. Furthermore, he is known for his ability to distribute the ball to his teammates with long throws.
Conclude
Through what we shared above, you also recognize that in his football career, Thibaut Courtois always tried and eventually became one of the best and most famous goalkeepers of all time. Hopefully he will reap more success and great achievements with his passion.