Thibaut Courtois sounded like a heavyweight champ after his big-time performance lifted Real Madrid to a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League Final on Saturday in Paris.

“Today I needed to win a final for my career, for all the hard work to put respect on my name as I don’t think I get enough respect, especially in England,” Courtois said. “I saw a lot of criticism even after a great season.”

It would be difficult to avoid giving credit to Courtois, who is the unabashed hero of this win (Vinicius’ goal obviously mattered quite a bit).

Madrid entered the game with swagger and exited it with the trophy despite Liverpool’s 24-4 advantage in shot attempts.