Sports Nicknames - The Octopus, The Giraffe

Thibaut Courtois is a Belgian goalkeeper considered to be one of the best in the world.



Courtois started his career in football at the Genk youth system, where he proved to be highly promising. In the summer of 2011 he was signed by Chelsea and instantly loaned to Atletico Madrid, where he got to play under newly appointed manager Diego Simeone. During his time in Spain Courtois won the Zamora Trophy twice - an award given to the best goalkeeper in the league.

In the summer of 2014 Courtois went back to Chelsea, where he played for four years and won the Premier League Golden Glove, in addition to trophies that he won with the club.

Real Madrid signed Thibaut in 2018 for a record fee paid for a Goalkeeper in Spain. In Madrid he got to play behind Sergio Ramos in defense and under Zinedine Zidane's management. He won his third Zamora Trophy while at Real.

Thibaut Courtois is the youngest goalkeeper to represent Belgium. He won the World Cup Golden Glove in 2018 for the best goalie in the tournament.

Courtois is a complete goalkeeper and his strongest trait is his consistency in front of the net. He has good positioning, he is agile, quick, calm, composed and confident. His imposing height earned him the nickname 'The Giraffe' and his long throws and shot stopping abilities the nickname 'The Octopus'.

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