‘Dreamed of being able to get back’ – Courtois elated after return from long layoff

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois marked his return to the first-team fold during the team’s home match against Cadiz at the Santiago Bernabeu.

His appearance on Saturday marked his first start for the team after being absent for nearly nine months. Speaking after the game, the keeper expressed his delight while talking to Real Madrid TV, saying,

“It was very nice to be back today. I dreamed of being able to get back to playing. The match was good, as I made an important save and then we scored,” he said.

“I am happy with the win and feeling like a Real Madrid player again is nice, especially With the fans and their love for us,” he added.

Courtois thought of returning many times

It is to be noted that he had previously suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during training on August 10 last year, which required surgery a week later and a lengthy recovery period.

Courtois’s return was further delayed when he experienced a rupture of the internal meniscus in his right knee on March 19. Despite these setbacks, he fully recovered and resumed training with his teammates.

Speaking about his return, the Belgium international said that he thought of returning to action many times during his rehabilitation.

“[I thought about returning] Many times. I thought the season was lost, then I set the Cadiz match as my return date. 

“I felt good before, but with bad luck, I didn’t know if I could play or not.”

Adding to that, he went on to admit that he will need some time to adapt to competitive football again.

“It will take a little time to adapt again. The plan was to play a friendly match in training at the time, but I tore my meniscus. 

“I only trained, but I haven’t played 11 against 11 for 9 months,” he explained.

Courtois – looking ahead

Against Cadiz, Carlo Ancelotti selected him and the Bernabeu crowd gave him a warm welcome with a standing ovation, and they applauded him again in the 50th minute when he made a crucial save against Chris Ramos in a one-on-one situation.

“We are very close to winning La Liga. A great match awaits us on Wednesday, and we hope to give the fans another joy on Wednesday,” he said.

Speaking about the match on Wednesday, against Bayern Munich, he urged the fans to turn the Bernabeu in white. “A very important match. We need the fans in white again. I hope we can have a magical night again.”

Lastly, the keeper pressed on the fact that the entire Real Madrid roster is a group of friends and everybody is eager to help everybody.

“We are a group of friends in the team. A hug and a positive word always help a lot. Militao and I spent several days alone at the time of our injury. 

“Playing with him again means a lot to me. I would like to thank the technical staff very much. I am better now since when,” he added.