Kasper Schmeichel added to his Denmark caps tally with number 108 against Spain.
The Celtic goalkeeper was unable to keep a clean sheet in Murcia, though, as his side succumbed to the European champions who narrowly won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Martin Zubimendi.
The `Danish media claimed it was a strong showing` from the Hoops’ 37-year-old stopper but that didn’t prevent them from having a pop at him in what was an inexplicable complaint.
Schmeichel has been one of the countries most consistent performers with the national side while he has always shown up well in his club football with the likes of Leicester City, Anderlecht and now in Glasgow with Brendan Rodgers’ league leaders.
In a back-handed compliment towards Schmeichel and his outing against Spain, Tipsbladet journalist Emil Bellaiche revealed the veteran was his player of the week for Morten Wieghorst’s side.
However, in his telling of the matchday story, Mr Bellaiche described Schmeichel as “fashionable to hate” as he explained how supporters are looking for a fresh talent between the sticks.
Celtic’s goalie has been a stalwart for the Danes over the course of his career since making his debut in 2013 against Macedonia following injury to Thomas Sorensen.
And yet with international teammate Mads Hermansen heralding in the new dawn of goalkeepers in the Danish outfit, the 24-year-old still cannot oust his experienced pal.
Danish media believe Kasper Schmeichel should be replaced by Mads Hermansen
Tipsbladet editor-in-chief, Allan Olsen, was adamant Celtic’s man is no longer the player for the job as he answered his own question: “Is Schmeichel our best goalkeeper? No!”
But while his reporter Bellaiche stepped in to back Schmeichel to a point, he noted that the legend has become easy to dislike and perhaps even be used as a scapegoat for any disappointing results in the country’s recent history.
Writing about his “crush” of the week, Bellaiche wrote: “Now it may well be that I will get into trouble, but I have chosen Kasper Schmeichel.
“All in all, he plays an excellent match, and then he looks a bit unlucky on goal. But in order to protect him a bit, there are also two players in front of him, so he can’t see anything, and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg also corrects it.
Kasper Schmeichel Celtic career stats have been impressive so far
“On a really good day he would probably have taken it, and he has also said himself that he regrets it.
“I think that hating Kasper Schmeichel has become somewhat fashionable. People want something new to happen, but I don’t think we need to change already, even if there isn’t much future perspective in him compared to Mads Hermansen. I think he’s doing his thing.
“There is also this perspective that Schmeichel will be 40 when the World Cup takes place. So at one point or another you have to make this change, because it is not sustainable if Mads Hermansen has to play his first international matches during the World Cup, if he is now the one who has to play at that time. So there has to be a change at some point.”
Schmeichel has six clean sheets for Celtic already in just seven games as he has settled in at Parkhead and Lennoxtown impeccably.
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