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Kasper Schmeichel is a Celtic outfielder in goals - the REAL reason keeper is so good with his feet
When Kasper Schmeichel sent Innes Cameron for a Killie pie with a Rugby Park pirouette on Sunday, goalkeepers the world over no doubt felt their belly lurch.
Ninety-nine per cent of shotstoppers would have shelled Liam Scales’ pass back into Row Z and given their team mate an ear bashing for landing them in the soup. A few others would have cannoned a panic-stricken clearance off the big Kilmarnock striker right into their own net.
But Schmeichel? The touch and turn on the edge of his own six yard box was meat and drink for a keeper equally good at playing with his feet as his hands. It’s not just now either. Not until he turned 15 did the Denmark legend decide for sure that following in his dad Peter’s footsteps and pulling on the gloves was the best course for his career. Up until then he’s played mainly as a striker.
Few would doubt he made the right decision. Three big saves in Ayrshire were crucial to Celtic returning to the top the table with a 2-0 victory. But a showreel of his passing range and ability on the ball as the last line of defence was every bit as impressive. Comfortable with the ball at his feet? It’s like the big keeper has pulled a pair of his giant Uhlsport mitts over his toes.
The 38-year-old is loving the responsibility placed on him by Brendan Rodgers to be an 11th outfield player. And he argues it’s no longer the case of judging an Old Firm goalkeeper by their ability to stay switched on to make one big save. He said: “Goalkeeping has moved on. That's just the basics, making saves, now.
“You say you're not involved but you're involved all the time, just in a different way than probably when I started playing football. So times have changed in that sense. In a way, it's actually easier to keep your concentration because you are involved in the game all the time, in the build-up play, constantly making angles, constantly being available.
“In that sense, it's not difficult being switched on or focused. I was an outfielder until I was 15, so that kind of thing comes quite natural. But times have changed. It's not like you just go with a goalkeeper coach and then you meet the team, maybe for some games later. You're involved all the time.
“I’ve always made sure that I was in the possessions, I was in the boxes, always making sure that not just that I was staying sharp and finding the passing lines, but also making sure that the other team members are confident in giving me the ball.
“They know that if they can give me the ball in any way, to any foot, bouncing, and I can deal with it as well as they can. I think that's really, really important that they have the confidence in me.”
It’s no surprise Schmeichel was targeted by Rodgers to fill the Joe Hart shaped void in the summer given the importance the Parkhead boss puts on his keeper being a builder of attacks. His ability to keep play moving or turn defence into attack with one quick zing of his left or right peg has been crucial on the Champions League stage too.
Actually getting Schmeichel to talk at length about his saves is just as difficult as getting the ball past the great Dane. Asked about the stunning save low to his left to deny Leipzig star Christoph Baumgartner moments before Celtic went 3-1 ahead in last Tuesday’s Champions League win, Schmeichel said: “Sometimes your luck's with you. You know, the luck was with me that it was close enough to me to save.”
Yet when talk turned to how he’s had to adapt to the modern game, he was off again - claiming the next generation of goalkeepers are about to take the position to another level altogether. Schmeichel said: “I think with some of the youth teams I'm seeing, there's going to be even more progression and it's going to become even more extreme in some ways.
“That's what football is. It's about trying to find a competitive advantage somewhere. And if you can play 11 against 10, then there's always going to be a spare man somewhere. It's a fun evolution. I love watching and seeing if someone comes up with a new idea and see if that's something we can use, if that's something we can implement.
“As a goalkeeper now in 2024, nearly 2025, you have to be able to be flexible. You have to be able to play a variety of ways. You have teams that play with long balls. You have to be able to do that and you have to be able to play intricate little passes. You have to be able to adapt to these teams.
“And it's not a case any more of having a good goalkeeper. You have to match your goalkeeper with your playing style because there's some goalkeepers that don't fit certain playing styles and some that fit others. And that's where goalkeeping has gone. It's so much now that you're part of the team.
“It's not that just you put your gloves on and you go over the goalies and do some work. That was maybe what it was like when I started 23 years ago, whatever it was.
“But in that sense, I was lucky. When I was young, I was number two or number three. So there was always a spare keeper, which meant I could go outfield. I always knew that goalkeeping would become more and more with your feet. So that was always something I used to my advantage.”
