Kasper Schmeichel has confirmed his retirement from professional football at the age of 39. The goalkeeper, who won honours with Leicester City and Celtic while also linking up with Kelechi Iheanacho earlier in his career, says his playing days are over when his current deal ends.
Quick facts
- Kasper Schmeichel has announced his retirement at 39.
- He said he may have played his final match as early as March.
- Schmeichel previously underwent surgery for a shoulder injury that sidelined him for about a year.
- He won the Premier League with Leicester in 2016 and was Leicester’s No 1 during the title-winning campaign.
- He captained Leicester to FA Cup and Community Shield success in 2021.
- He made 120 appearances for Denmark and played at two World Cups and two European Championships.
- His club stops included Manchester City (youth development), loan spells at Darlington, Bury, Falkirk, Cardiff and Coventry, plus spells at Notts County, Leeds United, Nice, Anderlecht and Celtic.
- With Celtic, he won two league titles and the Scottish Cup last season.
- He was Leicester City Player of the Season twice (2017 and 2021) and Danish Football Player of the Year on three occasions.
Schmeichel hinted at the possibility of ending his career back in March, admitting at the time that he might have been playing his final game. The decision now, he says, follows medical consultations about the long-term outlook for his shoulder.
The stopper had required surgery on a shoulder problem that kept him away from action for roughly a year. In his retirement statement, he explained that the advice he received meant he should not plan on returning to elite-level football.
“When my contract with Celtic runs out in June, I will end my active career,” Schmeichel said in comments carried by TV2. “This is a choice that has effectively been made for me. I spoke with multiple surgeons and specialists about my shoulder, and they told me not to expect a return to top-level playing.”
He added: “I have given the decision a lot of thought, but I believe this is the right moment.”
From Leicester’s title to Celtic’s silverware
Schmeichel, the son of former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, was Leicester’s first-choice goalkeeper during the Foxes’ Premier League triumph in 2016. The title success carried huge odds at the beginning of that season, described as 5,000 to 1.
In 2021, he also captained Leicester to win the FA Cup and the Community Shield. A notable moment from that run came when he lifted the Community Shield following Leicester’s victory over Manchester City.
Internationally, Schmeichel earned 120 caps for Denmark. He represented his country at two World Cup finals and two European Championships.
His development began at Manchester City, before his senior progress accelerated through loan spells in the Football League. Those loan stints came at Darlington, Bury, Falkirk, Cardiff and Coventry, helping him build experience across different levels of English football.
Before Leicester, he also played for Notts County and Leeds United. After his Leicester spell at the King Power Stadium, he went on to play for Nice and Anderlecht before moving to Celtic.
At Celtic, he added a further haul of trophies, winning two Scottish league titles and the Scottish Cup last season. Individually, he was twice named Leicester City Player of the Season in 2017 and 2021.
Schmeichel also collected Danish Football Player of the Year honours on three separate occasions, underlining his standing at both club and international level.
