Thibaut Courtois' true feelings about Kevin De Bruyne become clear years after off-pitch spat

Thibaut Courtois has lauded Kevin De Bruyne for his exceptional talent and work ethic, despite a personal history marred by a reported affair over a decade ago.

The two Belgian stars, who were key cogs in their 'golden generation' which included a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup, have had a complicated relationship off the pitch due to an alleged affair involving De Bruyne's former girlfriend, Caroline Lijnen, and Courtois while both players were at Chelsea.

Yet, it seems the past is behind them, with the Real Madrid goalkeeper expressing admiration for Manchester City's midfield maestro on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, presented by Qatar Airways. Courtois said (via the Mirror): "Yeah, I think Kevin is a guy with a lot of talent, but also very hardworking.

"Also, he had like growing up in the youth, he was not always the best player or so that you thought at 12 he was going to be this kind of player, one of the best midfielders in the world.

"And yeah, he grew out of it. And suddenly you could see the talent he had. And I think he's a hard worker. He's someone that also wants to win and is a bad loser on the field. But that kind of people you need. And that you can see in Manchester City that Kevin is important for this team.

"And when Kevin is good, you will see that like now [Erling] Haaland would score more. Or, you know, that's just how Kevin plays. I think Kevin maybe will not really lead a team in a way like maybe Eden [Hazard] would do because Eden on his own can make maybe more the difference.

"But I think if Kevin plays good, all the team plays better. And because a team plays better, suddenly you will win your games. And I think Eden had more this individual class that you would give him the