Chelsea's latest goalkeeping talent Mike Penders emerges from the same academy pathway that shaped the great Thibaut Courtois.

Just like Courtois, Chelsea secured Penders from Belgian side Genk while the keeper was still a teenager.

A transfer for the then-19-year-old was settled in 2024 and he arrived officially the next summer after a loan year with Strasbourg.

Genk's goalkeeper coach at the time Gilbert Roex told BBC Sport the club found it surprising that Chelsea paid £17m for Penders before any senior appearances.

Roex nevertheless praised Chelsea's focus on youth footage guided by head of goalkeeping Ben Roberts and noted he was still featuring for Jong Genk when the scouts became convinced.

The situation recalled Courtois who had completed just one first-team season before lifting the title at age 18. Chelsea video scouts may have spotted a player destined for greater value later on.

This summer Penders trained alongside the long-serving Belgium number one at the World Cup and people close to Courtois informed BBC Sport that the 115-cap keeper was highly impressed by his successor both as a player and as an individual.

For the present Chelsea intend to keep Robert Sanchez as first-choice goalkeeper while Penders applies strong competition.

The scenario resembles the one involving Filip Jorgensen who tested Sanchez yet failed to claim a regular starting role and is now seeking a move away.

Penders arrives essentially to fill the Jorgensen role with a third goalkeeper option also being explored either from within or via the market as former United States international Gabriel Slonina trials at partner club Strasbourg.

Strasbourg is where Penders established himself during his loan and the French club now needs to replace him under shared American ownership with Chelsea.

At Genk Penders recorded 26 appearances in his final season aware of the upcoming Chelsea transfer then served as an unused substitute at the Club World Cup before heading to Strasbourg in Ligue 1.

He appeared in almost every match across a gruelling 52-game campaign that featured deep runs to the semi-finals of both the Coupe de France and the Conference League.

Penders thrived there under former Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior whose bold tactical style he later brought to Chelsea.

Among goalkeepers in Europe's leading five leagues none posted a higher average starting position from goal highlighting Penders' key role in build-up play and his willingness to operate beyond his penalty area.

The method delivered attractive football yet occasionally produced notable errors.

It is striking that Penders has become expert with his feet given that area once represented his main shortcoming.

When Genk first spotted Penders at Sint-Jan Berchmans College and while he played for local side Bregel Sport his ball skills were considered a clear weakness.

One of the teachers recommended him to me Roex who recently departed Genk added. When I watched him he showed a strong profile performed well and displayed an excellent mentality. Technically however he required considerable improvement.

At that stage his footwork was poor because of his height yet he passed the trial for our under-14s at age 13.

Roex states he has never witnessed a player advance so rapidly between the ages of 13 and 18 thanks to Penders' remarkable mentality and his ability to remain unfazed by pressure qualities that persist today.

He added that early on Penders faced many difficulties but trained extremely hard with at least 20 minutes of footwork included in every goalkeeper session.

He reads the game intelligently which matters greatly since playing out from the back involves more than technique it requires sound decision-making around space pressure and timing.

Nearly 20 years after helping shape the 6ft 7in Courtois together with fellow Genk coach Guy Martens Roex observed that Penders who stands the same height shares traits with the former Chelsea goalkeeper now a Real Madrid and Belgium great.

Guy and I held the same outlook Roex explained. We recognised that football was evolving and that goalkeepers must feel comfortable using their feet. We applied that approach across the academy despite some initial pushback from other coaches.

Part of our thinking drew from Ajax and Johan Cruyff's goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek a forward thinker who later worked with Barcelona and the Dutch national team.

We were also early users of filming goalkeeper sessions employing tapes and basic editing tools. We aimed to introduce goalkeepers as young as 16 to the first-team setting.

We developed Courtois and Penders along with Koen Casteels Martin van der Voordt at RB Leipzig Kiaba Brughmans and Nordin Jackers now at Club Brugge.

Roex attributes Penders' composed nature to his supportive family background and upbringing in the small village of Maasmechelen near Genk.

We have created many fine goalkeepers but Mike possesses the potential to reach the same heights as Thibaut his calmness is invaluable between the posts.