Kasper Schmeichel watched good friend Joe Hart bow out at 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 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 first-team 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 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!
“The 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.
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