It’s striking that Penders is now so accomplished with the ball at his feet, given it was once the weakest part of his game.
When Genk first noticed him through Sint-Jan Berchmans College and his grassroots side Bregel Sport, his on-ball ability was considered his Achilles’ heel.
Roex, who recently left Genk, recalls that a teacher recommended Penders. He saw a tall, promising keeper with a strong mentality, but one who needed significant technical work. Despite that, Penders passed the trial for Genk’s under-14s at just 13.
Roex says he has never seen a player improve so rapidly between 13 and 18, crediting Penders’ exceptional mindset and his capacity to stay unfazed under pressure—traits that still define him.
Early on, Penders struggled, but he put in the hard yards. Genk’s keepers did at least 20 minutes of footwork in every session. Over time, his reading of the game became a strength, and he learned that building from the back is as much about decisions—space, pressure, timing—as it is about pure technique.
Nearly two decades after helping develop the 6ft 7in Thibaut Courtois alongside fellow Genk coach Guy Martens, Roex sees similarities between Penders—also 6ft 7in—and the former Chelsea goalkeeper who went on to star for Real Madrid and Belgium.
Roex explains that he and Martens shared a belief that football was evolving and goalkeepers had to be comfortable with their feet. They drove that philosophy through the academy, even when some coaches initially resisted. Influenced by Ajax and Johan Cruyff’s goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek—who later worked with Barcelona and the Dutch national team—they were early adopters of filming keeper sessions and using basic editing tools. They also aimed to expose goalkeepers as young as 16 to first-team standards.
That approach produced not only Courtois and Penders, but also Koen Casteels, Martin van der Voordt at RB Leipzig, Kiaba Brughmans, and Nordin Jackers, now at Club Brugge.
Roex believes Penders’ composure stems from a close, stable family and growing up in the small village of Maasmechelen near Genk. He concludes that while Genk has produced many fine goalkeepers, Penders has the potential to reach Courtois’ level—his calm is pure gold for a goalkeeper.