Celtic transfer recruitment has once again proven its worth.
When Joe Hart retired in the summer, the powers that be and Brendan Rodgers had a big call to make because a big void had been left in between the sticks.
Rodgers knocked on a familiar door – one he knew from his Leicester City days – and brought in the experience of Kasper Schmeichel.
Given that Schmeichel is 38, this was never and isn’t going to be a long-term purchase, but right now, he is proving his worth and thriving in Celtic colours.
There is still some distance to go, but Schmeichel has been at Celtic long enough for people to judge what he is all about and how he compares to Hart.
Aiden McGeady says Kasper Schmeichel is an ‘upgrade’ on Joe Hart at Celtic
One of the key things with Rodgers is that he demands his team to play out from the back and doing that under pressure isn’t the easiest of things.
But McGeady feels, whilst ‘no disrespect’ to Hart, that the man now donning the gloves is a step above, as he told Sky Sports Football (22/12/24 at 11:15 am).
The boyhood Celtic fan also explained what the ’slight difference’ is between Schmeichel and Hart.
“Very shrewd signing from Celtic,” said McGeady. “Losing Joe Hart, a lot of people were unsure of who was going to come in and be the number one.
“But, no disrespect to Joe Hart, he has possibly been a bit of an upgrade, in terms of how good he is with the ball at his feet and the way Celtic want to play.
“Loads of experience. Won the league at Leicester. The last couple of years of his career have been funny where he has played. Now, he looks like he has really, really settled. The last few weeks he has been called into action a lot more than he would have wanted to. But a fantastic goalkeeper. Made some vital saves, especially in the Hibs game and the cup final. He was the hero on the day in the penalty shootout. Hart was slightly different, more of a vocal leader, but Kasper Schmeichel has been fantastic.”
Schmeichel’s stats for Celtic this season
Celtic have made a flying start to the season and Schmeichel has been there to see it all, in the Premiership and the Champions League.
But Rodgers needed something to show for it and that happened when Celtic beat Rangers in the League Cup final last Sunday at Hampden.
Schmeichel’s penalty save was the standout moment from the shootout, with the Denmark star already racking up 16 clean sheets this term, as posted by Transfermarkt.
| Competition | Apps | Goals conceded | Clean Sheets | Minutes played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Premiership | 16 | 4 | 13 | 1.440′ |
 | UEFA Champions League | 6 | 10 | 2 | 540′ |
 | League Cup | 4 | 6 | 1 | 390′ |
| Total 24/25: | 26 | 20 | 16 | 2.370′ | |
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