Excited Schmeichel let Hart rule his head as he reflects on Celtic’s appeal
◆ Dane thrilled to be following in friend’s footsteps and says the decision was ‘easy’
Kasper Schmeichel watched good friend Joe Hart bow out at Celtic with league and Scottish Cup medals around his neck and never thought just a few months later he would be succeeding him.
The genesis of this particular goalkeepers’ union can be traced back to 2006 when Schmeichel was on loan at Bury from Manchester City and Hart still at Shrewsbury Town.
The Dane remembers thinking City’s goalkeeping coach had turned up for that day’s League Two clash to check on his progress, only for the truth to dawn a short while later when Hart joined him on the books at City.
Both young and eager to impress, that competitive streak in the race for firstteam football didn’t stop the pair from forging a close friendship that endures to this day.
When a text arrived out of the blue from Brendan Rodgers last month asking Schmeichel if he was free for a chat, Hart was one of those the goalkeeper consulted when it became apparent a move to replace him at Celtic was on the cards.
“I hoped [the chance to succeed Hart might happen] but I had absolutely no indication or inkling,” says the 37-year-old. “It was a very nice surprise and very unexpected.
“I'd literally just gone on holiday with my family having finished the Euros, and I was thinking: ‘When is something going to happen?’ And then all of a sudden, I got a text from Brendan and we agreed on it quite fast. He asked: ‘Do you have time for a quick chat?’ After that it was a very easy decision.”
Schmeichel watched the way Hart quickly worked his way into the Celtic fans’ affections with his performances over the past three seasons, pleased to see his friend rebound from a tough few years when he seemed to have lost his way. Now that the former England goalkeeper has chosen to call time on his career, Schmeichel is thrilled at the prospect of following in his footsteps.
“Who would have thought?” wondered the former Falkirk player about the way this whole scenario has unfolded. “Mine and Joe’s history is well documented. I was at City before him. I was on loan at Bury and we played against each other when he was at Shrewsbury. The goalkeeping coach was in the stands. I thought he was watching me. Obviously he wasn’t – he was watching Joe!
“Then three or four months later, Joe bowled in the door. We instantly hit it off. We’d very compatible personalities. We wanted to win and to be the best. At that time neither of us were number ones.
“We were just kids trying to be better, trying to figure out how we get to that point. We’d spend so much time watching goalkeepers, trying things out.
“We’d watch clips of Buffon, Casillas, Kahn, whoever. And we’d go out and try to emulate them in training and see if it would help us and work for us.
“We’d go and play tennis or whatever after training because we felt that would help with our footwork. We did anything we could to be better. We pushed each other.
“Joe at the time was probably ahead of me in many respects. He was the one who got the debut in front of me. I think it was Sheffield United at home.
“We’ve always been very close friends. When I had my chance in the Premier League, Joe was nothing but supportive. We’ve followed each other. Our families are friends. We see each other outside of football. I honestly didn’t expect him to retire before me being younger than me. But it’s crazy how football works sometimes.”
Schmeichel, like Hart, arrives at Celtic as a decorated international, a leader in the dressing room and someone with a welter of club experience. A key figure in the Leicester City Premier League-winning miracle of 2016, he also won the FA Cup [when Rodgers was the manager] and played in the Champions League. Most recently he has played in Europe with Nice and Anderlecht and, even at 37 years old, the chance to help Celtic land further silverware in the season ahead evidently holds huge appeal.
“I think the difference between a club like Leicester – and I love Leicester – we didn't have the history of winning like Celtic has had,” he added.
“To come into a club this size that has won so many things, and also has a history of winning – not just an old history of winning but also a new one – that was really appealing to me. That was something that I hadn't tried before.
“To get the opportunity to be a part of that history is massive. With Joe I saw the love he had for it and the love the fans had for him and if I could emulate just half of what he did then I'd be happy with that.”
It all starts at home to Kilmarnock on Sunday when Celtic unfurl the Premiership title flag. But Schmeichel made clear the day for him will be more business than pleasure.
“You’ve got to remember that football is also a job for me so you sometimes have to remove the emotion of the occasion and make sure you’re actually focused on the job in hand,” he added.
“We’ve had two really good games in the States that I was involved in and another against Washington as well.
"But it’s a completely different thing when you go into competitive games so we have to make sure that we’re grounded, stay humble and hungry.
“When you win you can either go one of two ways; either become happy and complacent or be inspired by it. And that’s what we need to keep doing.”
If I could emulate just half of what Joe did at Celtic then I would be happy with that Kasper Schmeichel