Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois demands 'respect' after Champions League final heroics

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has demanded his critics "put some respect on my name" after the Belgian delivered one of the great Champions League final performances to guide Real Madrid to a record-extending 14th European Cup.

Real beat Liverpool 1-0 inside the Stade de France, courtesy of Vinicius Junior'ss 59th-minute goal, but the Belgian's saves made the difference. Courtois produced nine saves in total, including six from Mohamed Salah alone, as Real managed to hold Liverpool's fearsome attack to a clean sheet.

"I needed to win a final for my career, to put some respect on my name," said Courtois, who won his first Champions League title having finished runner-up with Atletico Madrid in 2014.

"I'm really happy and proud of the performance of the team. We've beaten the best clubs in the world. (Manchester) City and Liverpool were unbelievable this season. Liverpool played a great game but we had one chance and we scored it.

"It's incredible, so many years, so much work. Come to the club of my life. I saw many criticising me. Today we have shown who is the King of Europe," he said. "I felt good the last few weeks. Once you make the first stop. Nobody could take away my desire to win the Champions League."

Of all the superb saves, Courtois picked out the stop on Sadio Mane, when he tipped a shot from the Senegalese forward onto the post, as the pick of the bunch.

"The most important was the save from Mane. I really had to use my two metres to get there and turn fast to get the rebound," he said after collecting his award for player of the match.

Courtois, 30, has enjoyed remarkable success in his career ever since winning the Belgian league in 2011 with Genk alongside a young Kevin De Bruyne.

Real Madrid goalkeeper