Celtic ‘very lucky’ to have Schmeichel, says Rodgers

Kasper Schmeichel‘s early impact proves why Celtic are “very lucky” to have the goalkeeper, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

The former Leicester man, who has impressed in pre-season, reunited with Rodgers this summer after ending a year-long spell with Anderlecht.

The Denmark captain, who played at Euro 2024, is tasked with replacing Joe Hart, who retired at the end of last campaign.

37-year-old Schmeichel is slightly older than ex-England keeper Hart, and Rodgers stressed the importance of keeping experienced hands between the sticks.

“Just him coming in in this last 10-12 days or so has given the players a lift,” the Celtic boss told Sky Sports.

“We had Joe here who was absolutely brilliant, he was an amazing character and goalkeeper, so it was really important for us to bring in somebody like that.

“Having worked with Kasper, I knew his hunger and how competitive he was. I also knew how good he is around his team-mates.

“Coming into a massive club like this is something he really relished. He’s settled in really well, he’s obviously an experienced goalkeeper and someone we’re very lucky to have.”