King Courtois' Reign Begins

Thibault Courtois is one of those athletes who makes a lot of us think “what am I doing with my life?”  At 22, the Chelsea shot stopper is already established as one of the finest goalkeepers in the world.  

Often the forgotten player in the historically brilliant transfer window that was Chelsea’s summer, Courtois is commonly overlooked in favor of Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas.  The midfielder and the striker have been integral to Chelsea’s perfect record, but the young Belgian keeper will be a mainstay in the Blues' starting eleven for a very long time.  

The age of King Courtois has officially begun in England.  This morning, Courtois signed a new 5-year deal that keeps him at Stamford Bridge through the 2018-2019 season.  At his youthful age, the keeper has already won La Liga and played in the Champions League final to cap an impressive three year loan spell at Atletico Madrid.

A few weeks later, Courtois anchored a Belgian defense that gave up just three goals in five games at the World Cup.  Not only does he boast in impressive repertoire of accomplishments.  The 22 year old declared himself one of the best goalkeepers in the world during his spell in Madrid.  

He oozes confidence, commands the box like a general, and at 6’6 shows flashes of freakish athleticism.  Albeit he could have kept out at least one of Everton’s goals in the 6-3 thriller, his reaction save to deny Kevin Mirallas later on was brilliant.  

Petr Cech, one of Chelsea’s most loyal servants and perhaps one of the best five keepers in the world, has already been usurped by Courtois at Chelsea just a few weeks into the Belgian's tenure at Stamford Bridge.  It remains to be seen if Cech will stay glued to the bench for the entirety of the season, but for now Courtois has a firm grasp on the starting role.  

Many speculated that Courtois would start on the bench while Cech carried out his duties as the incumbent holder of the #1 jersey.  Cech would of course be on a short leash, but one could argue he earned the right to start the season in goal.  

This speaks to the mild-mannered Belgian’s abilities and the confidence his manager instills in him.  Cech is still just 32, and definitely has more miles left in the tank.  However, he may be looking for a new job in the next few windows, for unseating Courtois will be exceptionally difficult.