Former Chelsea goalkeeper Courtois says winning with Real Madrid is 'the peak'

Thibaut Courtois won two Premier League titles with Chelsea, but the Belgian goalkeeper says “winning with Real Madrid is the peak”.

The 27-year-old has tasted Club World Cup and Supercopa glory since linking up with the Blancos in 2018 but he is still waiting on a first piece of major European silverware since heading back to the Spanish capital.

A productive loan spell at Atletico between 2011 and 2014 saw him claim La Liga, Copa del Rey and Europa League winners’ medals, while also reaching the Champions League final.

The plan is to replicate that success with Real, with Courtois claiming to now be living the dream at Santiago Bernabeu.

He told Real Madrid TV: “Being a Madrid player is important. Everything is important here - every game, every training session.

“Here there is pressure and you have to know how to take it.

“I really want to fight to win the Champions League and La Liga. Winning with Madrid is the peak.

“At Madrid, you can never relax, you are never calm. When you wear this shirt, you know the pressure that comes with is, that's why they win so many titles.”

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The weight of a famous jersey has weighed on Courtois at times, with a slow start endured to his spell with the Blancos.

He has overcome that to nail down a starting berth, with hard work paying off.

Courtois, with eight clean sheets in his last 11 games, added: “I had to be strong to overcome the difficult moments.

“Just like when you do when you're 20 years old, you take things to heart, but over time you learn.”

On his ambition, the highly-rated shot-stopper added: “I hope to be remembered as a great goalkeeper and a great person.

“I hope to be important in winning titles, but I also hope to leave the image of being a good person and a good team-mate.

“The Champions League is the big dream at club level, and I'd also like to win the European Championships [with Belgium].

“All dreams can come true.”

Real, who have moved ahead of arch-rivals Barcelona at the top of the Liga table, will be back in action on Wednesday when they take in a Copa del Rey clash with Real Zaragoza.

Zinedine Zidane’s side then have a derby date with Atletico to come on Saturday.