Chelsea Goalkeeper Claims Working With His Rival Has Made Him Even Better

Posted Saturday, February 28, 2015 by Caughtoffside.com

Chelsea's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois believes working with Petr Cech has helped him improve...

Thibaut Courtois believes that working with Chelsea teammate Petr Cech in training has made him a much better goalkeeper. The Belgian stopper has been in fine form so far this season, but apparently owes much of his success to the Blues veteran.

The 22-year-old returned from a three-year loan spell at Atletico Madrid to take over the Chelsea number one spot earlier this season, ending a decade of dominance for Cech between the Stamford Bridge posts.

However, rather than continually attempting to one up his rival, Courtois believes that the tips from the Czech international have been invaluable to him, and have instead helped him settle quickly into life in the Premier League.

Courtois, who was quoted by the Daily Star, said: "If you can train with somebody who already has a long history of playing in the Premier League, he knows things you don't know and can give you tips.

The pair will go head-to-head this weekend, as they compete for a place in the team for the Capital One Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur, but Courtois believes both players are equally prepared to help their side to success on Sunday.

"How he trains and the level we are achieving in training is so high that you improve - if he makes a great save, you want to make a great save too. So we keep each other on a very high level."