Thibaut
Courtois posted a message to Chelsea fans ahead of his move to Real Madrid,
thanking them for their support during his time at Stamford Bridge.
The Belgium goalkeeper has agreed to join Real Madrid, bringing to an end a
seven-year spell in south-west London.
He spent the first three years as a Chelsea player on loan at Atletico
Madrid, and is now returning to the Spanish capital to join their city
rivals.
In a Facebook video posted on Wednesday night, Courtois said: "I would like
to express my heartfelt gratitude for the four fantastic years that have
passed. Chelsea will always have a special place in my heart.
"I was very happy to be part of one of the biggest teams in the world. I
fulfilled a childhood dream playing in the Premier League.
"A huge thank you to all my team-mates and the technical staff, who I shared
success and amazing moments with.
"I want to thank the fans for their great support. I hope you understand
that being close to my kids was considerable in my decision.
"I wish you all the best for the future. It was a great honour to be part of
the CFC family."
Courtois originally posted a written message to Chelsea fans on Facebook,
but removed it shortly afterwards.
The 26-year-old's move to Real comes after he refused to return to Chelsea
training at the beginning of the week after being granted extra time off
following his participation at the World Cup with Belgium.
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