Kasper Schmeichel returned between the sticks for Celtic last weekend after his injury.
The Hoops No.1 sustained a shoulder injury during international duty in March for Denmark and had been sidelined for almost two months.
Viljami Sinisalo was forced to step up and fill the void, and the Finnish goalkeeper has more than impressed at a vital time of the season.
He helped Celtic secure the Scottish Premiership title against Dundee United at Tannadice and has only conceded four goals in six league matches.
Schmeichel praised Sinisalo for his efforts, saying: “Yes, I have trained with Vil all season, and he has been top-drawer.
“You do not come to a club like Celtic unless you are a good goalkeeper, so yes, he has done very, very well.”
It would have been easy for Schmeichel to stop there, but he decided it was right to give forgotten goalkeeper Scott Bain a shoutout too.
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Schmeichel’s brilliant shoutout to Scott Bain
Bain has not played a single game for Celtic this season and will be ineligible to pick up any winners’ medals as a result.
He’s made the bench just 14 times, and the rest of the games he’s not been included in the matchday squad – the sacrifice you have to make to be Celtic’s third choice goalkeeper.
67 Hail Hail have written just one article about Bain over the last 10 months, which proves he is the man who lives in the Parkhead shadows.
But Schmeichel felt it right to praise him this season. The big Dane said: “Scott Bain, I’ve got to mention him as well. I’ve always said the hardest and most unrecognised position in a football club is the goalkeeper who isn’t playing.
“You’re travelling, you’re still sacrificing all the time away from family, and you’re never getting any of the accolades or the glory.
“But you’re still there, you’re supporting, and you’re still a part of the team. You’re still pushing, you’re still doing all the things that you have to do, but you don’t get the joy of the game.
“To the whole goalkeeping unit, it’s such an important part of the one who’s playing to recognise and appreciate every effort that’s being put in.”
Bain’s Celtic career in numbers
Can you believe Scott Bain has been contracted by Celtic since 2018? He initially joined on an emergency basis from Dundee when Craig Gordon got injured.
His debut came in a Glasgow derby encounter against Rangers in March 2018, but he’s only played a further 77 matches since – that’s about 11 games per season on average.
But he’s clearly been quite content with being in the periphery for Celtic and has been behind the likes of Vasilis Barkas, Joe Hart and now Schmeichel at the club.
Bain is contracted until 2026 at Celtic and you would imagine if Brendan Rodgers is happy to keep him within the ranks, the three-time Scotland cap will be too.
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