Three weeks ago Joe Hart provided a very insightful profile on Kasper Schmeichel, in three weeks time the Danish legend looks like replacing Hart in the Celtic side that begins the defence of the SPFL title at home to Kilmarnock.
Schmeichel had been mentioned in dispatches as a possible target for Celtic, there was the Brendan Rodgers connection from Leicester but against that he is five months older than Hart.
Most Celtic fans expected an experienced goalkeeper to be signed, according to Fabrizio Romano they are about to get one of the most experienced ‘keepers in the business, fresh from four appearances for Denmark at the European Championships.
Although Hart has now retired he is a walking, talking ambassador for Celtic. It doesn’t require much in the way of questioning to get the former England ‘keeper talking up his delight at the three year swansong he enjoyed in Scotland.
Without doubt Schmeichel will have sounded Hart out over the prospect of moving to Celtic, it wouldn’t be the greatest surprise if Hart played a role as matchmaker.
Ahead of the England v Denmark match at the European Championships Hart profiled the Danish ‘keeper for the BBC website:
Kasper and I go way back, all the way to when we faced each other for the first time in February 2006, when I was playing for Shrewsbury and he was on loan at Bury from Manchester City.
Back then, we were just two teenagers playing our first few professional games in League Two, so it is pretty cool how things evolved for both of us over the course of our careers.
At 37, he is the same age as me. Well, in fact, he is five months older, and I love the fact he is still playing on the biggest stage.
In England, people may well have lost track of him since he left Leicester in 2022 – I have found out myself that our English mindset when you are not in the Premier League can be that if you are out of sight, you are out of mind.
But there will be many more watching the game on Thursday who, like me, will appreciate Kasper for everything he is, as a person and a player.
His strengths as a goalkeeper are his physique and his power. He turned himself into an incredible athlete at a young age, and that has never changed. He is aggressive and assertive, and he can do things that a lot of other keepers can’t.
But as well as his physical attributes, I know how his mentality has played a huge part in what he has done in his career, and how he achieved it.
You don’t stay at the top for so long, like he has, without having an incredible passion for the game.
After Bury Schmeichel spent a season at Falkirk where he was managed by John Hughes.
Last season the Danish legend played in 31 Jupiler League matches for Anderlecht as they finished third in the table, four points behind champions Club Brugge.
CLICK HERE for Schmeichel Transfermarkt profile.
CLICK HERE for Keevins performs incredible u-turn on Rodgers as he accuses Celtic fans.
CLICK HERE for Ibrox messenger lets slip over December re-opening.
