When Brendan Rodgers dropped the bombshell that he was leaving Celtic last Monday night, the news would have hurt many within the squad badly. But none more so than Kasper Schmeichel. Given the bond he had with the manager from his days at Leicester City, and the fact he then brought him to Celtic, it was, Schmeichel admits, a ‘horrible’ experience.
The Danish goalkeeper knew that he would be leaned upon heavily by the incoming manager to help steady the ship due to his vast experience, and that the younger players would be looking to him for guidance.
And for him, that job was made a great deal easier by the fact that the perfect man to help lift the Celtic dressing room and to bridge that gap from the shock departure of Rodgers arrived in the shape of Martin O’Neill
“There’s a Leicester connection, obviously,” Schmeichel said.
“We’ve met before and he’s worked with my dad on TV and I’ve played against his teams and all these kind of things, so we have a lot to talk about.
“Brendan, I’ll always be incredibly grateful for everything he’s helped me in my career. I’ve won the FA Cup with him, he brought me to Celtic and won cups with him there.
“So, it’s always sad to see anybody lose their job and the staff. It is sad, but it’s such a horrible thing because it is just football and, as players, you have to get on with it.
“We had a game against Falkirk, we had a game against Rangers. You have to go and win.
“Everyone knows Martin is a great character and, like I say, every encounter I’ve had with him has been a positive one.
“We have a lot of people in common from Leicester. We talk about the training grounds, where did you live, where did I live, the kit men and all these kind of things. All these people that you cross paths with in football. So, instantly, you have a lot to talk about.
“But his footballing knowledge is humongous. And for me, I think the most important thing is consistency. Particularly the youngsters, maybe that haven’t been through these scenarios, this is sometimes what happens and now it’s about absorbing as much knowledge and much information.
“You now have someone who has so much experience. Absorb as much information as you can. Learn as much as you can. That’s certainly what I’m doing. So, yeah, it’s the way it goes.”
As well as that vast footballing knowledge, Schmeichel says that O’Neill’s presence alone has been a significant factor in lifting some of the clouds that had been gathering over Celtic Park.
“Some people just have an aura about them,” he said.
“For me personally, I’ve obviously known him for a long time. So, I know the type of character that he is and sometimes confidence is a massive thing in football, sometimes you need a little arm around you and he’s been really good at doing that, particularly with the young players. And just giving them that reminder of what good players they actually are.”
There was a buzz around the local press pack here in Herning ahead of Celtic’s game against FC Midtjylland on Thursday night, with the media room packed out to welcome home the returning hero and to present him with a Danish flag to mark his 39th birthday.
Despite his advancing years, Schmeichel says his recent form is an indication that he is still in fine fettle, and that he is enjoying his football as much as he ever did.
“I've honestly never paid a thought to it [my age] ever,” he said.
“I've never felt it, don't feel it. I've honestly never taken any notice of it.
“I love playing football. I can't imagine a world of not playing football. I'm fit and well and playing for a massive club, I’m playing internationally. Hopefully, with all due respect, we'll beat Scotland and go into the World Cup.
“Life is great, and I feel great. It's never been something that's ever crossed my mind. I've always felt that the biggest advantage you can have is age and experience.
“If you're still physically able and you have that experience of 900 plus games, then that can only be an advantage.
“I've felt good all season. I think the way I've always attacked the game is that I look at every single action in a game. There'll be no bigger critic than myself.
“There's not an action in the game where I thought I couldn't have done something better than that. I analyse everything.
“The aim for any goalkeeper, I would always think and always want if I was a coach or a manager, would be consistency.
“That’s what I aim to bring, stability and consistency.”
