New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS): Delhi Dynamos Tuesday signed towering Belgian goalkeeper Kristof Van Hout for the inaugural season of the Indian Super League (ISL) that would be held October-December.
An accomplished goalkeeper, Van Hout played for Belgian powerhouse Racing Genk last season. At 6 ft 10 inches, he also has the distinction of being the tallest professional football player in the world, making him an imposing figure at the goal post.
The 27-year-old Van Hout burst on the scene in 2008, becoming the hero of Kortrijk after saving three penalties in the shoot-out against league champions Standard Liege to help his team progress to the quarter-finals. This earned him a transfer to Standard Liege itself, with whom he won the Belgian Cup in 2010-11. Van Hout was on the bench for Liege’s matches in the Champions League, including two games against Premier League giants Arsenal.
In 2012, Van Hout made the move to another Belgian super club, Racing Genk, one year after the club sold prodigious talent Thibaut Courtois to Chelsea. That season, Van Hout led Genk to a third place finish in the Pro League, earning them a place in the Europa League. He also won his second Belgian Cup.
The Belgian featured in the Europa League for Genk Feb 27 playing the full 90 minutes against Russian club, Anzhi Makhachkala.
“I am eagerly looking forward to playing in India, which has a sizeable fan following for the game of football. I am confident that it will be an enjoyable and fruitful experience to play in Indian conditions,” said Van Hout.
Delhi Dynamos coach Harm van Veldhoven said Van Hout is a seasoned player who has contributed immensely to his teams in the past due to his fine goalkeeping skills.
"We are sure that he will display the same alacrity and judgement when defending Delhi Dynamos’ goal post. His height is a big advantage, especially in close games that go down to penalty shootouts,” he said.
Besides Van Hout, the club has signed prolific strikers Mads Junker and Morten Skoubo, as well as experienced Belgian defender Wim Raymaekers following their strategic tie up with Feyenoord Rotterdam.