La Liga icon hails Real Madrid veteran as the ‘best in the world’ in his position | OneFootball

Speaking on COPE (h/t Mundo Deportivo), former Real Madrid and Valencia goalkeeper Santi Canizares offered strong praise for Thibaut Courtois, hailing the Belgian shot-stopper as the best in the world in his position.

Courtois has been at Real Madrid since 2018, when he arrived from Chelsea. But prior to that, he had spent time at the Merengues’ cross-town rivals, Atletico Madrid, on loan, between 2011 and 2014.

And, Canizares praised the improvement and transformation that the Belgian international has gone through from his first moment in Spain to the present.

“The improvement of Courtois is clear from the moment he arrives in Spanish football, from the moment he arrives at Atletico Madrid,” said Canizares.

Best in the world, according to Canizares. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Continuing, the La Liga icon added: “He arrived as a good goalkeeper, a good prospect. Today he is the best goalkeeper for me, the one my eyes have seen, the best goalkeeper in the world, the one with the best qualities regardless of trophies and so on.

“All of this has to do with the very exclusive, very different professionalism that Courtois has compared with most goalkeepers.”

So far at Real Madrid, the 33-year-old Courtois has made more than 300 appearances, keeping 121 clean sheets in the process.

The Belgian goalkeeper has won three La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions League trophies, one Copa del Rey, and three Spanish Super Cups, among several other trophies during his spell at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Courtois is contracted with Real Madrid until the summer of 2027, having signed a new one-year extension earlier this year, although it has not been announced officially.