Brendan Rodgers has been speaking to the press ahead of Celtic’s test against Hibernian tomorrow, and he had some intriguing thoughts to share on Kasper Schmeichel.
In the summer, Schmeichel joined Celtic on a free transfer after leaving Anderlecht, prompting a reunion with his former manager after their successful time together at Leicester City.
Any concerns over his age have been swiftly put to bed, with the Denmark international recording 13 clean sheets in 22 appearances across all competitions.
Brendan Rodgers knew what he was getting with Schmeichel. Not only is his handling watertight, the 38-year-old’s clean distribution has earned plaudits from Ross McCormack and several other pundits.
Arguably Celtic’s signing of the season, the man between the sticks has also brought a sense of leadership needed to fill the sizeable void left by Joe Hart.
His start to life in the Scottish Premiership couldn’t have gone much better. Now, Rodgers has opened up on why Schmeichel has been able to transition to life north of the border with little complication.
Brendan Rodgers on Kasper Schmeichel impact since Celtic move
Ahead of Celtic’s clash against Hibernian this Saturday, Rodgers has touched on Schmeichel’s ability to handle ‘pressure moments’ alongside preluding how the Dane may be thinking about his career future.
He stated: “His style, that’s where it comes into play, (in those) pressure moments. The ball goes back, especially conditions like that there, some goalkeepers might not be as comfortable, so they then kind of end up just defending it and going long too early.
“It comes right back at you, (but) he brings the calmness. I’ve worked with him a long time and I know his quality, he’s a world-class shot-stopper. He’s great with his feet, his authority in the game is superb and his handling is so clean, so he’s been massive for us. Just his whole presence and personality, I’m really happy for him.
On how long he could play on for, Rodgers continued: “That has always been his ambition when I first met him back in 2019 at Leicester.
“His hunger and drive and desire, he’s like a young guy 15 years younger than he is, so much enthusiasm for the game and so much enthusiasm for goalkeeping. To throw himself about like he does every single day.
“He’s obviously got his own personal targets, he’s got a World Cup he’ll hope to be at, but I know he’s loving his life here, he’s enjoying his life, and thankfully, he’s performing at a very high level for us.”
Kasper Schmeichel worthy of a Celtic contract extension
Schmeichel has an option to add another year to his Celtic contract, which is something the overwhelming majority would like to see taken up if the circumstances fit.
In the end, only he can make that decision. Whether he wants to continue playing on remains to be seen, but you feel any ending to his career would be extremely premature.
At Celtic, Schmeichel is performing to levels of consistency that are rare even form someone at a club with such a proud history of success. Not only is he making match-winning stops, the former Leicester City man is a leader in the dressing room.
The message is loud and clear from the Parkhead faithful: they are desperate to see his clause for another year activated.
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