Viljami Sinisalo’s Kasper Schmeichel insight as training alongside ‘idol’ at Celtic now a reality

Add as preferred source on Google

Not everyone gets to play alongside one of their footballing idols, but the same can’t be said for Viljami Sinisalo at Celtic.

After arriving from Aston Villa for £1 million in the summer, the 22-year-old has managed to bed in between the sticks at Lennoxtown, learning from the excellent example of fellow new signing Kasper Schmeichel.

In what is hoped to be an instance of succession planning concerning the Celtic goalkeeping position, Sinisalo may one day step into the number one berth.

Intriguingly, he has previously named Schmeichel as one of his footballing idols, adding another dynamic surrounding his arrival.

Opening up on what it has been like to work alongside the Denmark international, Sinisalo has now delved into the respect the Celtic goalkeeper pool share and how he is feeling after having a couple of months to settle in.

Viljami Sinisalo’s major respect for Kasper Schmeichel

Speaking live at Celtic’s recent JD event in Glasgow, which was uploaded to their YouTube channel, Sinisalo has quantified why he has always looked up to Schmeichel and shared details on how integrating into the squad has been from a personal standpoint.

He explained: “Kasper, for instance, someone I’ve always looked up to, watched on the telly, he’s been a bit of an idol of mine since I’ve watched football in the Premier League.

“The level of respect I have for him, I can’t really put it into words. A brilliant goalkeeper, he still is to this day and has had an unbelievable career.

“You can see on the matchday how big he is for the team, and he’s someone I’m obviously looking forward to learning from however long he’s here for. It’s been really good, which has been brilliant as well with me. There’s a plan, and I’ve always enjoyed training with both of them (Schmeichel and Bain).”

Viljami Sinisalo will feature for Celtic at some point

Sinisalo has yet to make a competitive appearance for Celtic, but that will come at some point as he looks to stake a claim for first-team involvement under Brendan Rodgers.

Ultimately, the goalkeeper position is the hardest to ward off competition for, seeing as most clubs have a defined number one to ensure continuity in their respective backlines.

However, the Finland international has been brought in with long-term planning in mind. Despite Schmeichel’s brilliant start, he won’t be around at Celtic forever, so it is exciting that a ready-made alternative is in the building ahead of time.

Following his excellent grounding on loan at Exeter City last term, where ke kept 13 clean sheets, Sinisalo will be happy to patiently wait for his chance.