The withdrawal of Thibaut Courtois from the Red Devils has reopened the space for the number one goalkeeper position. Between Matz Sels and Koen Casteels, the fight is fierce.
Since 2015, while he was still playing at La Gantoise, Matz Sels is the third or fourth goalkeeper of the national team. In a generation with Thibaut Courtois and Simon Mignolet, this is not a shame. But in recent months the situation has changed.
Mignolet said goodbye to the national team. As for Courtois, it is no longer necessary to return to his case. Due to numerous injuries Koen Casteelsthe opportunity to sit on the bench presented itself several times, but in nine years, he has only accumulated six real caps, including three in friendly matches.
Ambitious Matz Sels
Sels is not the type of man to use big speeches, but it still touched him. So many years and so few caps… In the last 18 months, he has been able to play four times and the appetite seems to have come with eating. The boy wants to improve his CV. No top footballer plays without the ambition to take a step forward, even at 32.
This winter, he left his Strasbourg comfort zone by signing for Nottingham, six years after his mixed stint at Newcastle. The Euro also played a role.
Koen Casteels too prone to injuries?
The Premier League has a better reputation. An argument likely to influence Tedesco, who indicated that he had not yet made a decision on the hierarchy. Casteels is indeed quite prone to injuries.
The next two friendly matches will therefore be very important for Sels in the absence of Casteels. If he shines against Ireland and England, he could leave with a head start.
Playing as a starting goalkeeper in a major tournament would be a great accomplishment. And the World Cup in America (which Courtois will probably not play given the extension of Domenico Tedesco) is not that far away…
2024-03-22 20:00:00
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