Leicester City legend Kasper Schmeichel has announced his retirement from professional football following a devastating shoulder injury. Schmeichel, who currently plays for Scottish giants Celtic, confirmed that medical experts have advised him that playing in top-level competitions was no longer realistic.
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Schmeichel first stepped away from the Denmark national team setup in March following an awkward landing during a February match against Stuttgart. The goalkeeper would later reveal that he suffered torn ligaments and tendons that would require a recovery period for a long time.
Speaking in an emotional interview with TV 2 Sport in Parken, the 39-year-old shot-stopper revealed the heartbreaking reality of his situation.
“When my contract expires with Celtic in June, I will stop my active football career,” Schmeichel confirmed. “It’s a decision that has been made for me. I have consulted with various surgeons and experts regarding my shoulder, and they have told me that I should not expect to return to play top football. I’ve given it a lot of thought, but I believe that now is the right time.”
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The Denmark keeper added: “It has been a long process. When I landed on it [shoulder] in February, I could feel it was completely wrong. I’ve traveled around and got some assessments. The message was that not much could be done, and the conversation instead turned to what kind of life I want to live afterwards. Will I be able to lift my children? Will I be able to go out and have an active life? The dream was to come back, but the assessment was that it would be very difficult to perform at a certain level.”
Kasper Schmeichel leaves professional football as a legend, most notably known for helping Leicester City miraculously win the 2015-16 Premier League title. Despite a 2-1 Scottish Premiership defeat to Hibernian in his final appearance for Celtic, Schmeichel remained grateful for the opportunity to follow in his father, Peter’s footsteps in reaching the top of football.
