Kasper Schmeichel shares his first impressions of Viljami Sinisalo’s Celtic potential

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The Celtic goalkeeping department has had a significant refresh this summer with both short-term and long-term goals in mind for the club.

Brendan Rodgers has added significant quality for the here-and-now with the signing of Danish international Kasper Schmeichel. He’s expected to be the team’s number one throughout the coming season.

In support, the club have also made a move for Finnish international Viljami Sinisalo who, at 22, has long-term upside.

Celtic have tied him down to a lengthy contract and the manager has already spoken about him as one who can challenge for a first-team spot down the line.

The two players will be working very closely over the next 12 months. Schmeichel has a whole career’s worth of knowledge to share, much of which was played at the elite level. Sinisalo will hopefully soak some of that up as part of his development.

Kasper Schmeichel on Viljami Sinisalo

Ahead of his competitive debut this Sunday, Schmeichel sat down with the Scottish press and fan media outlets to discuss his transfer and what’s ahead at Celtic.

One question focused on Sinisalo and his potential, with the veteran shot-stopper sharing his first impressions of his new teammate.

Schmeichel said: “He’s been top drawer. The games he’s played, the time he’s got on the pitch and time on the training pitch – he’s been really good, really impressive. He trained really well today and made a couple of great saves.

“I’ve been really impressed by him. He’s a very, very nice guy and very humble. For me, the most important for any young goalkeeper is their willingness to learn and he certainly has that.”

Asked if he could reach the top level like Schmeichel had, he responded: “Definitely.”

Sinisalo can hopefully get Celtic minutes this season

It’s always difficult for back-up goalkeepers to prove themselves on the pitch but if Celtic truly do have a long-term vision for Sinisalo then he could do with some games this season.

Ideally, he’d be deployed in the early rounds of Scottish League Cup and Scottish Cup, with Schmeichel busy on league duty and the UEFA Champions League.

If not, a year of training with Schmeichel and goalkeeping coach Stevie Woods will still be beneficial, with an eye on him eventually one day replacing the Dane.