Thibaut Courtois has accepted that he will need to battle with Keylor Navas for the No 1 jersey at Real Madrid this season.
Courtois has been brought in by new boss Julen Lopetegui and is likely to be his main keeper at the Santiago Bernabeu, yet the Belgian, who wasted no time in kissing the Madrid badge at his presentation, acknowledged he will still be in a fight to dislodge Navas from between the sticks.
“Keylor is a great goalkeeper and he has helped Madrid a lot in winning titles recently, but I’m only here to help and contribute my own qualities,” insisted Courtois.
“Nobody has assured me I’m going to be a starter and I’m simply here to compete. I did that with Petr Cech when I arrived at Chelsea and ended up playing.
“In terms of my former club Atletico, I have great respect for them. I think I earned the respect of their fans too while I was there – but now I am here.
“I have never kissed the badge of another club but in this situation I can really feel it.
“I’m now back in La Liga with a lot more experience, more muscle, and I’m more mature. I’ve improved a lot and still have my best years ahead of me,” he maintained.
