Kasper Schmeichel

Celtic supporters have already enjoyed their first glimpse of Kasper Schmeichel in action, with the goalkeeper having played in two of the Hoops’ pre-season matches in the United States – against Manchester City and Chelsea.

And they will have been impressed with what they’ve seen from the Danish internationalist, who produced a string of superb saves in both matches.

Now they’ll be looking forward to cheering on the 37-year-old when Brendan Rodgers’ side kick off the defence of their Premiership title this Sunday against Kilmarnock.

And for the player himself, he can’t wait to get his first experience of playing at Paradise as a Celt.

Ahead of the weekend’s Flag Day match, Schmeichel was at Celtic Park to chat about the game, along with posing for the customary pictures that any new arrival to the club experiences.

“I’ve settled in very nicely and the players have made it very easy for me,” he explained. “It’s a good group of people so it’s been nice.

'I always look back on my career now and the times where I was probably at my best and my happiest as a footballer was under Brendan at Leicester.'

“It was certainly the time that I enjoyed football the most, so I always had a lot of positive memories, and the chance to work with him again is a big thing. I’m very grateful to him for giving me this opportunity so it’s been good all-round.

“This is a massive club with worldwide recognition and obviously being part of a winning culture was a big thing for me, coming to a place where you’re expected to win every single game. That was definitely something which really appealed to me.”

Celtic’s new No.1 is picking up the gloves left by his friend and former Manchester City team-mate, Joe Hart, who enjoyed three very successful years at the club before calling time on his playing career last season.

The two men speak often – they talked before and after Kasper Schmeichel joined Celtic – and the Danish stopper was full of praise for the Celtic supporters and the way they responded to Joe Hart throughout his time at the club.

“Having followed Joe and known him, and known the difficulties he went through in his career,” he said, “to come to a club this size and get, from what I felt, the respect and adulation he deserves, I was quite thankful to the Celtic fans for that because I thought, for the career he had, he deserved that kind of send-off.

'I watched the last game of the season when they lifted the trophy and I watched the cup final as well, and that was great to see. So I was very impressed with how good a send-off he got.'

The Danish keeper, who captained his country in all four of their games in the recent European Championship, has signed a one-year deal with Celtic.

He is relishing the challenges of the season ahead and he is looking no further ahead than that.

“I’m not the type of guy who sets those type of limitations or expectations,” he said. “I’m here to do a job and play the best that I can and any opportunity I get to do that, that’s my focus.

“I’m not going to be the guy who sits here and says, I’m going to do this or I’m going to do that.

“For me, the best goalkeepers are the ones you don’t notice that much, they’re the ones who’re there consistently and do their job, and that’s what I’m here to do.

“I’m here to help this club keep winning, keep being the successful and big club that they are, so I’m not really looking beyond that.

 

For 17 years, Kasper Schmeichel felt drawn towards Celtic. Even when his storied career saw him zig-zagging across countries and continents, he believed there would come a day when fate would rest its hand on his broad shoulders


There was always something with Celtic for some reason,’ said the one-time Falkirk loan player.

‘We’ve had (his fellow Danes) Morten Wieghorst and Thomas Gravesen playing here and it was always a club that appealed to me in some way

The desire to finally cross the threshold crystallised in more recent times. As Schmeichel headed abroad to play for Nice and Anderlecht after his long association with Leicester ended, he watched from afar as his ex-Manchester City team-mate Joe Hart went out in a blaze of glory in Glasgow.

‘For Joe to get the respect and adulation he deserved at Celtic, after all he had been through, I was quite thankful to the Celtic fans for that,’ said the 37-year-old goalkeeper.

I watched the trophy day and cup final and was very impressed with how good a send-off he got.’

As Schmeichel watched Hart parade silverware through a blizzard of confetti at Hampden, he was taken back to how it all began for both of them.

Seven months younger than Schmeichel, Hart got his nose in front in their formative years to make the Manchester City jersey his own. A glut of honours and 75 England caps duly followed.

Schmeichel’s route to the winner’s podium was more circuitous. That loan spell at Falkirk in 2007 was one of five he undertook before moving permanently to Notts County, then Leeds. Each one was a key staging post before claiming his own slice of history with title-winning Leicester in 2016.

To follow in Hart’s footsteps at Celtic now feels serendipitous.

‘Who would have thought?’ he smiled. ‘Our history is well documented.

‘I was at City before him. I was on loan at Bury and we played against each other when he was at Shrewsbury.

‘The (City) goalkeeping coach was in the stands. I thought he was watching me. Obviously, he wasn’t - he was watching Joe

Then three or four months later, Joe bowled in the door.

‘We instantly hit it off. We had very compatible personalities. We wanted to win and to be the best.

‘At that time neither of us were number ones.

‘We were just young kids trying to be better, trying to figure out how do we get to that point.

‘We’d spend so much time watching goalkeepers, trying things out.


We’d watch clips of (Gigi) Buffon, (Iker) Casillas, (Oliver) Kahn, whoever. And we’d try to emulate them in training and see if it would help us and work for us.

‘We’d go and play tennis or whatever after training because we felt that would help with our footwork. We did anything we could to be better. We pushed each other.

Joe at the time was probably ahead of me in many respects. He was the one who got the debut in front of me.

‘We’ve always been very close friends. When I had my chance in the Premier League, Joe was nothing but supportive.

‘We’ve followed each other. Our families are friends. We see each other outside of football

I honestly didn’t expect him to retire before me, being younger. It’s crazy how football works sometimes.’

Hart felt reborn the moment he walked through the door at Parkhead. While Schmeichel’s career isn’t quite in the same need of salvation, he plainly feels like the challenge he’s signed up for is just right.

‘I wanted to be part of a winning culture, at a club where you are expected to win every game.’

In Brendan Rodgers, the man who took Leicester to an FA Cup triumph in 2021, he feels there’s also a meeting of minds.

‘Winning,’ said the keeper. ‘That’s the only word I keep repeating and keep hearing. It’s about winning. That’s what it’s like to be at Celtic.

‘The time in my career when I was at my best, and happiest, was under Brendan at Leicester.

‘I had a lot of positive memories from that time.

‘We won the FA Cup final, he elevated my game and was an important person for me.

‘To get the chance to work with him again is a big thing and I am grateful for that opportunity.’

Schmeichel is committed to a year and not averse to extending the arrangement

I am not the type of guy who sets limitations or expectations. How long can I play for? It’s down to myself and my desire.’

He’s counting the minutes to the visit of Rangers at the start of next month although the experience will not be entirely new to him.

‘I just remember some of the lads at Falkirk saying you’ve got to experience it. It was one of them that helped me get a ticket,’ he recalled.

‘I didn’t need the baseball cap. No one recognised me back then.’


His fervent hope is that Matt O’Riley, his Denmark team-mate, is still on board when the day dawns

I’m trying everything, trust me,’ he smiled. ‘But he’s not given anything away yet. He’s a top-quality player

 

Starting the season with a clean sheet

 

His distribution is better than I expected.

 

Could have pulled out a deck of cards and played solitaire.

 

His Da could played in goals and still got a clean sheet

 

You have a real knack for finding negativity where there isn't any.

It's quite impressive tbh.

 

A good signing!

 

So quick off his line..

 

Guy just has a presence about him … for the first time in years I wasn’t actually that worried about Kilmarnocks corners etc. Commands his box really well.

Distribution is miles better than I expected too.

 

Never felt safer.