Courtois welcomes Van Bommel's appointment as Belgium coach

BRUSSELS, July 26 : Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has welcomed the appointment of Mark van Bommel as the country’s new coach and said he would talk to him about whether he continues his international career.

Van Bommel was appointed only weeks after Belgium’s quarter-final exit at the World Cup effectively cost Rudi Garcia his job with the French-born coach and the Belgian federation agreeing not to renew his deal.

Van Bommel was quickly appointed to replace him and Courtois said the former Dutch international would enjoy the respect of his new charges.

"It wasn't really a surprise because his name had been circulating for quite a while," Courtois told reporters at a sponsorship event.

"I think he proved at Antwerp that he's a top coach. A lot of the players speak very positively about him, so I'm looking forward to getting to know him.

"The most important thing is that Van Bommel himself played at the highest level and knows what it's like to play matches like these.

"That top-level experience is definitely a positive and it naturally earns a lot of respect from the players," he said.

Whether the 34-year-old Courtois himself will actually play under Van Bommel remains uncertain.

After the World Cup, the Real Madrid goalkeeper said that he would like to continue with Belgium but only if he was allowed to skip the upcoming Nations League campaign.

"After the World Cup, I definitely still want to continue, but it will depend on the conversation I have with him," Courtois said.

"I'd like to have some rest during the Nations League and we'll have to try to reach an agreement on that.

"After that, I'll decide whether I want to continue or not."

Courtois also reflected on Belgium's World Cup exit, which came after he was injured in