New Headline: Schmeichel Shares 'Unleashed' Celtic GK Stats
Having just said goodbye to one English Premier League winning goalkeeper in Joe Hart, Celtic welcomed another into their ranks. Kasper Schmeichel, winner of the Premier League and FA Cup with Leicester City, joined Celtic in summer of 2024 to reunite with his former Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers, who had just secured a domestic double in his first season back at Parkhead. The Denmark international has now revealed he may be forced to retire by injury , so how does his Celtic career stack up?
It all started so well for the Dane. He did not concede a goal in his opening six league matches - breaking a 118-year club record - and had silverware before the end of the year as Celtic outlasted Rangers in an epic League Cup final. The sides were locked at 3-3 after extra time, with Schmeichel saving Ridvan Yilmaz's spot-kick to allow Daizen Maeda the chance to score the winning penalty - which he did.
Schmeichel earned a new one-year contract a few weeks later and was a pillar of the Celtic team who cantered to their 55th league title last term, finishing 17 points of second-place Rangers. He played 32 Premiership games, conceded 21 goals and made 73 saves for a save rate of over 76% - better than any other top-flight keeper who was playing regularly. Schmeichel kept a Premiership-high 19 clean sheets (Dundee United's Jack Walton was next on 12).
The Celtic keeper was only conceding a goal every 131 minutes on average - and he prevented 1. 7 goals. A treble beckoned to cap Schmeichel's memorable debut campaign in Glasgow but that dream turned into a nightmare for the 39-year-old.
Celtic went into the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen as heavy favourites and were in control thanks to Alfie Dorrington's own goal just before the break. But with 83 minutes gone, substitute Shayden Morris played a teasing cross that was inexplicably diverted into his own net net by Schmeichel. Celtic went on to lose in the shootout.