Serious shoulder injury forces Schmeichel to conclude his illustrious career

The experienced national team goalkeeper has revealed his decision in an interview with TV2 Sport. His career will come to a formal end when his contract with the storied Scottish club Celtic finishes this summer.

"I have considered it deeply, but I feel that now is the appropriate moment", Schmeichel stated in the interview. In March, the 39 year old goalkeeper mentioned that he might have played his final football match because of a shoulder injury.

Since then, he has sought advice from multiple surgeons and specialists regarding the injury. They have informed him that he should not anticipate returning to the field to compete at the highest level, Schmeichel explained.

The Danish national team's first choice goalkeeper for many years has not played for Celtic since 22 February. He was also unable to join the Danish national football team when they assembled in March for the World Cup qualifiers.

At that time, he stressed that it was not a permanent departure from the national team. However, he now admits that in March he did not fully understand how serious his shoulder injury was.

Schmeichel initially hurt his shoulder during a match against Portugal last year. He suffered another injury in February. In an interview with the American outlet CBS Sports, Schmeichel noted that the shoulder problem is made more complex because he also has a damaged biceps.

Apart from Celtic, Schmeichel has represented clubs including Anderlecht, Nice, and Leicester.

In 2016, he secured the English Premier League championship with Leicester, and in 2021 he won the FA Cup with the same club.

He has also claimed the Scottish league title twice while at Celtic, most recently in the current season. Schmeichel has earned 120 caps for Denmark.