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No. 36 Thibaut Courtois, Chelsea (Atletico Madrid) / Belgium
Why he's ranked: Courtois has been attached to Chelsea since the summer of 2011, but has yet to play a first team game for the west London club as he has developed his stellar reputation during successful loan spells with Atletico Madrid. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has hailed Courtois as 'the best young keeper in the world' and in terms of pure shot-stopping ability, it is hard to argue with that assessment.
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Key stat: Saved 87 percent of shots faced, the best percentage among UEFA goalkeepers to play more than five games during the final stage of qualifying.
What the experts say: "Great goalkeepers are worth points. They turn defeats into draws and draws into victories. And they do it on their own: saves are perhaps the only truly individual part of the game. His huge spider-like frame coupled with outstanding reflexes and agility helps him cover the entire goalmouth. The fact that he just turned 22 and affects an iceberg-like coolness is uncanny as well. The kid is mature beyond his years and thoroughly unfazed. Just what a manager craves." - Gabriele Marcotti
What You Think:
Courtois is not better than Buffon and/or Casillas...Please! #WorldCupRank
- Anthony Pistelli (@A_P_6) May 30, 2014
Other articles:
- Wim van Walle: Hazard and Courtois, friends and foes
- ESPN FC Blogs: Belgium
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