All the stops
THIBAUT COURTOIS believes that he can emulate legendary Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and play into his forties.
Chelsea’s Courtois takes inspiration from Buffon, who will leave Juventus this weekend as a Serie A champion after 17 trophy-filled years and has hinted he may yet play on.
Courtois, 26, who is set to play in the FA Cup final against Manchester United tomorrow, said: “I hope to go on until I am at least 36 or 37. You have to think like that.
“Look at Buffon. He trains less now, to keep his muscles strong for the matches. I look at a goalkeeper like Mark Schwarzer, who was here at Chelsea when he was 41, training with us, and you see what is possible. Those are things I pick up.”
Shorter term, Courtois has just one simple aim – to stop Belgium World Cup team-mate Romelu Lukaku and his Manchester United side from finding the net tomorrow.
Courtois, who will face England at the World Cup in a Group G game in Kaliningrad on June 28, knows all about Lukaku and is determined to come out on top to ensure Chelsea take their last chance of silverware in this deeply disappointing season.
“Romu has no secrets,” he said. “Everyone knows him. He is strong, fast, has a good shot, is a good header of the ball.
“I know his strengths and weaknesses. We know where he’s going. He is important for United, so hopefully we can keep him out of the match.”
Lukaku has bragged how he used to score plenty of goals past Courtois when they were youth players at Anderlecht and Genk respectively, but the goalkeeper said: “Then he was all big and strong and we were all small kids. That doesn’t count.”
Courtois feels he has played well in a campaign in which Chelsea finished fifth in the Premier League after winning the
SPORT IN BRIEF
played a good match against Newcastle but I conceded three times. That’s not a nice feeling.
“Laurent Depoitre for Huddersfield this season scored in the last minute, 20 seconds after I had made a good save. That is frustrating but it is football.
“Sometimes you can be in a comfort zone. Then you think, ‘No, Thibaut, you must do more’.
“That is important in football.”
I won’t have any nerves
THIBAUT COURTOIS
Games: 35 Clean sheets: 15 Goals conceded: 34 Saves: 76 Errors leading to goals: 0 Wins: 20 Defeats: 9