Celtic keeper Schmeichel's 'very important' people revealed

How have you settled in?

Very nicely, the group have made it very easy for me. It’s a good group of people, so it’s been nice.

What were the main draws of coming here?

There are many. Firstly, the size of the club - it’s a massive club with worldwide recognition. Being part of a winning culture was a big thing for me, coming to a place where you are expected to win every single game. That was definitely something that appealed to me. The prospect of Champions League football and the Glasgow Derby, that was definitely part of it.

And working with the manager again?

Yeah, for sure. I always look back on my career now and I think about the times when I was at my best and my happiest was when I was under Brendan at Leicester. It was certainly the time when I enjoyed football the most. I always had a lot of positive memories, the chance to work with him again was a big thing. I’m very grateful for him giving me this opportunity again. It’s been good.

What did your days at Falkirk do in terms of development?

I think the most important thing for young players is game time. I had a taste of it in League Two in England and for a Premiership club to give me that opportunity and level of opportunity was a really big thing for me and a massive learning curve. I look back on that very fondly. For me, it was important because of the profile it gave me. I had my first TV game ever in Scottish football, so it was the first time the audience back in Denmark had a chance to see me live, having never played there. It was a big thing for me, and I enjoyed it.

What was it? The TV game.

I think it was away at Ibrox, and we lost 1-0. Then we had the game against Celtic, which was on TV as well. Those were the games that were shown the most.

Being at Falkirk, when you left did you ever think you would return one day to Scottish football?

There was always something with Celtic for some reason. Very recently, we had Thomas Graveson and Mirren Wieghorst playing here. It’s a club that always appealed to me in some kind of way, then these last few years with Joe Hart coming here. I followed Celtic a lot closer than I ever did, but playing in Scotland as a youngster, you get a real impression. In the newspapers, it wasn’t Falkirk that was getting headlines it was Celtic, so you knew where the club was and what the size of the club was.

Kasper, have you spoken to Joe at all?

Yeah, many times. I’ve spoken to Joe a lot - I do in general - but I’ve spoken to him before signing and since signing. We speak a lot.

Did you view his time at the club and the relationship with the fans as something that you maybe wanted?

Having followed him and knowing him and the difficulty he went through in his career, to come to a club this size and to get the respect and adulation that I felt he deserved. I was thankful to the Celtic fans for that, because of the career he’s had, he deserved that send-off. I watched the last game of the season when they lifted the trophy and I watched the cup final as well. It was great to see and I was very impressed. I always knew he was a top goalkeeper but I was impressed with the send-off he got.

You’ve got a one-year deal, what are your plans? Have you thought beyond that?

I’m not the type of guy that sets those types of expectations or limitations. I’m here to do a job and do the best that I can. Any opportunity to be able to do that, that’s my focus. I’m not going to be the guy that sits here and says ‘I want to do this or that’ For me, the best goalkeepers are the ones you don’t notice that much, they’re the ones who are there consistently and do their job, and that’s what I’m here to do. I’m here to help this club keep winning and keep the success like the big club that they are. I’m not looking beyond that.

How many more years do you think you can keep playing?

It’s down to myself and my desire. Physically I feel great and mentally I feel good, so as long as that’s there, then I don’t see any reason to be thinking about that. I’ve always said that if you are physically able and you have the amount of experience that I do now, then it’s only an advantage to any team. The day the physical side starts to drop or the mental side then that’s the day you have to have a look at it. I don’t feel like that yet, and I don’t feel the age that I am. If you ask any of the lads, then they’ll say I don’t really act like that either. If you love what you do, then you’ve got to keep doing it, because once you’re done, you’re done. You’re never going to be able to come back. I don’t want to be sitting there one day having made a decision that’s irreversible. As long as I am able to play, then I’ll keep playing.

What ambitions have you got left?

Winning. It’s the only thing that motivates me. I’ve had some incredible experiences in my life in terms of winning things and there is nothing that gets me up in the morning more than the thought of having those days. Those days where the team are together and you’ve accomplished something together where you get to share that with your teammates, family and fans. Those days are few and far between in the football world, but they last forever in the memory.

Have you got your eyes on all three domestic trophies this season?

There’s been a rich history of winning here, so I’m here to do whatever I can to help that continue.

You said your happiest times were at Leicester with Brendan. Has he had the biggest impact on your career?

I think through the years there’s been lots of different people who have come along at different times when you’ve needed them. There’s been coaches like John Hughes who gave me a chance in a top league. Sven-Goran Eriksson gave me my Premier League debut. Nigel Pearson gave me the confidence to think that I could be a Premier League goalkeeper for a long time. Brendan Rodgers coming in was one of those as well who helped to elevate my own game. We got to an FA Cup Final, and that had never been done in Leicester’s history. You meet these people along the way and Brendan is definitely one of those really important people in my life.

Read more:

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What was it like playing under John Hughes as a young player?

It was good! I really enjoyed it, and it was a great learning curve. I got a couple of telling-offs here and there but nothing less than I expected. I really enjoyed it, we had a great little team around the club in terms of John, Brian Rice, Jim Preston and Ross Wilson. They looked after the players and every day was an enjoyable experience. To get those games and be able to play in such a competitive league at that age was massive for me going forward.

What was that group like when Leicester won the league?

It was fun! I always say if I could go back to any six-week period of my life and relive that, then it would be the week leading up to and the five weeks following. They were special, and it was an incredible achievement. Having done it with the lads and the club from where we had been was just unbelievable.

The five weeks following it?

Yeah, following it! Yeah, exactly! You’re not going to expect us in training the next day, are you? It was good. It was a good period, let’s put it that way.