It’s impressive that Penders has become a footwork specialist, overcoming a former weakness.
When Genk first identified Penders from Sint-Jan Berchmans College, playing also for grassroots side Bregel Sport, his ball‑handling skills were his Achilles’ heel.
“A teacher suggested he be tried,” Roex, who recently departed Genk, recalled. “When I first saw him, he impressed with his profile, performance and mentality, though his technical abilities required extensive work.”
His footwork was poor at the time, given his height, yet he successfully passed the under‑14 trial at age 13.
Roex notes that he has “never observed a player improve so rapidly between ages 13 and 18,” attributing this to Penders’ “remarkable mentality” and “composure under pressure” — traits that persist today.
He added, “Initially he faced many challenges, but he trained diligently. We devoted at least 20 minutes of each session to footwork drills for our goalkeepers.”
“He possesses excellent game reading, crucial for playing out from the back, which involves not just technique but also spatial awareness, pressure management, and timing.”
Nearly two decades after helping nurture the 6’7″ Courtois alongside fellow Genk goalkeeping coach Guy Martens, Roex noted that Penders — standing the same height as Courtois — resembles the former Chelsea goalkeeper, now a Real Madrid and Belgium star.
“Guy and I shared the same vision,” Roex said. “We believed football was evolving, requiring goalkeepers to be comfortable with their feet. We embedded this philosophy across the academy, despite initial coach resistance.”
“Part of our vision derived from Ajax and Johan Cruyff’s goalkeeping coach, Frans Hoek, a visionary who later served Barcelona and the Dutch national team.”
“We were early adopters of video analysis, recording goalkeeping sessions with tapes and basic editing tools, aiming to expose goalkeepers as young as 16 to first‑team environments.”
“We have developed Courtois and Penders, as well as Koen Casteels, Martin van der Voordt (now at RB Leipzig), Kiaba Brughmans, and Nordin Jackers, now with Club Brugge.”
Roex attributes Penders’ composed demeanor to his close-knit family background and his upbringing in the small village of Maasmechelen near Genk.
“We have produced many excellent goalkeepers, yet Mike possesses the potential to match Thibaut’s level, and his calmness is invaluable in goalkeeping.”
