Waiting patiently in the wings at a highly pressured club requires a very strong character, and Viljami Sinisalo is proving he has exactly the elite mentality that Celtic fans love.
Rather than sulking in the shadows, Sinisalo’s relentless drive to claim the number one goalkeeping spot at Celtic has been constant.
Outlining his approach, the Celtic man recently shared in his pre-match press conference that: ‘I never put a time limit on when I would become number one… I always worked as if I were number one.’
That quiet confidence and workrate is now starting to blossom into something rather interesting.
With Kasper Schmeichel set to be sidelined for a year, and his contract at Parkhead expiring in the summer, Sinisalo has been thrust into the main spotlight.
Even when Schmeichel had several iffy moments between the sticks this season, the Finnish international waited patiently, maintaining the perfect mindset behind the scenes.
It is a testament to Sinisalo’s career ambitions, especially considering the 24-year-old boldly left the comfort of Aston Villa, who actively wanted him to stay, purely to hunt down first-team football.
Should Viljami Sinisalo be the long-term replacement for Kasper Schmeichel?
Viljami Sinisalo is a future Celtic captain
Celtic are genuinely blessed to have several natural leaders in the dressing room.
While Alistair Johnston, who has been injured for most of the campaign, and Kieran Tierney are obvious candidates as future captains, the club cannot continue to rely on Callum McGregor forever.
The immense pressure and demand to play every single minute needs to be taken off the skipper’s shoulders, and Sinisalo represents a fascinating, out-of-the-box option to help fill that leadership void in years to come.
Before Sinisalo goes down that road, his short-to-medium goal is to simply become the undisputed number one.
“I never put a time limit on when I would become number one,” said Sinisalo. “I always had a strong belief it would come.
“I always worked as if I were a number one. I have never been shy about saying that. Always thought that. I think that’s the only way to be if you want to eventually be that, then you have to train like that even when you are not.
“When that moment comes, I think that puts you in a great position to be ready for that. But I never put a time limit on it. I knew the opportunity would come eventually, and I am just trying to be ready for it.”
Ultimately, the best goalkeepers are often the ones you hardly talk about during a match.
And in recent weeks, you have rarely noticed Sinisalo when he is playing, and for a Celtic goalkeeper, that quiet, assured competence is a very good sign.
Celtic have a lot of rubbish to clear out in the summer. Making Sinisalo number one for next season, regardless of who will be the next manager, just saves a lot of people from having headaches.
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