Schmeichel is set to work under Rodgers just two years after the keeper’s Foxes exit
Kasper Schmeichel’s imminent move to Celtic will see him reunited with former Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers.
And it seems the pair have nothing but respect and admiration for one another. Schmeichel, 37, played a key role during Rodgers’ time at the King Power as the pair helped the club to its first-ever FA Cup triumph, as well as getting their hands on the Community Shield. A vocal leader on and off the pitch, Schmeichel will replace the influential presence of the recently retired Joe Hart at Parkhead.
Celts had drawn up a list of targets to succeed the legendary England keeper between the sticks, with Sparta Prague’s £8million-rated Peter Vindahl Jensen featuring high. But Rodgers decided to revert to his contacts book by thrashing out a deal for the vastly experienced Schmeichel, who will be expected to prove a safe pair of hands for the Scottish champions.
The Denmark No1 – who started all four games at this summer’s Euros – is poised to undergo a medical in Italy tomorrow before joining his new teammates in the USA for the club’s 12-day pre-season tour. And that will see him link up again with Rodgers, two years after Schmeichel surprisingly pulled the curtain down on his 11-year Leicester City career.
With Leicester stuck in a difficult financial situation at the time, Rodgers allowed his club captain to complete a surprise £1million move to Ligue 1 side Nice in 2022. And the Northern Irishman paid a fitting tribute to the Premier League winner, describing him as a “colossal player”.
Speaking after Schmeichel’s exit, Rodgers said: “I will miss him, the players will miss him. He’s gone for a new adventure with his family now. He’s a true icon of the club. When I came in, he was one of the figures mentioned… that senior group of players who were very strong and important to the club. He was exactly that. On the pitch, he’s a colossal player who played 479 games.
“He’s been a part of great success here over 10-11 years. He’s a real, real good guy off the field and I don’t say that lightly. His passion, determination… living with the name ‘Schmeichel’ was always going to be hard for any player. He made a name for himself with how good he was.”
Schmeichel’s departure resulted in deputy Danny Ward being promoted as first-choice keeper that season. But the former Aberdeen shotstopper proved an inadequate replacement as the Foxes suffered relegation to the Championship, with Rodgers also losing his job during a nightmare season.
Yet despite his abrupt and perhaps unexpected exit from the King Power, Schmeichel never held any grudges against Rodgers. In an interview with Sky Sports back in May 2023, Schmeichel defended Rodgers’ credentials in the wake of his Leicester sacking.
He said: “Brendan is one of the best managers I’ve ever seen up close. I only have good things to say about him. When you hear the same message over and over again sometimes the message might not have the same impact even if it’s the right message. That happens sometimes in managerial cycles. Only time will tell. Particularly the first two years of Brendan being there it’s the best football as a club Leicester’s ever played.”
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