Kasper Schmeichel
Encyclopedia
Kasper Peter Schmeichel is a Danish
professional football goalkeeper, and son of Peter Schmeichel
. He plays in the Npower Championship for Leicester City. He played 17 games for the Denmark under-21 national team
. Schmeichel was called up to the Denmark national football team
for the first time against Iceland on 13 May 2011.
Schmeichel began his career with Manchester City
, but he had loan spells with Darlington
, Bury
and Falkirk
before he made his City debut. Although Schmeichel appeared to have made the City #1 jersey his own at the start of the 2007–08 season, the emergence of Joe Hart
resulted in Schmeichel being loaned to Cardiff City
. The signing of Republic of Ireland international Shay Given
in January 2009 meant that Schmeichel fell even further down the pecking order at City, and in August 2009, he was allowed to link up with former manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
at Notts County. He spent only one season with the Magpies as, while it was a very successful one for the club and the player himself, changes to the club's financial position made his departure necessary and his contract was terminated by mutual consent. He joined Leeds United in May 2010, but again, his tenure at the club would only last one season before he was the subject of a transfer by Leicester City, where he would again work under Sven-Göran Eriksson.
in 2002 on a long-term contract. He joined League Two
side Darlington
on a loan deal in January 2006, where he made his professional first team debut against Peterborough United
at the 96.6 TFM Arena on 14 January 2006. Darlington won the game 2–1, with Schmeichel conceding a goal to Peterborough striker James Quinn. He gained his first clean sheet three days later against Grimsby Town
. He made two further appearances before returning to Manchester City.
One month after returning to Manchester City he was loaned out again, this time to Bury
in February, where he made 15 appearances in a three-month loan spell. He returned to Bury for a further three months the following season.
Schmeichel joined Scottish Premier League
side Falkirk
on loan from January 2007 until the end of the 2006–07 season. He was named man of the match
against Rangers
on 18 February 2007. He revealed in May he would have liked his loan at Falkirk extended and Falkirk
expressed an interest in signing him.
Schmeichel made his Manchester City debut against West Ham United
in August 2007. He played against City's rivals and his boyhood team Manchester United
on the 19 August 2007 and kept a clean sheet in City's 1–0 home win. Schmeichel saved a penalty from Arsenal's
Robin van Persie
on 25 August 2007 at the Emirates Stadium. Despite City losing 1–0 to Arsenal he was named man of the match. He played the first seven of Manchester City's
games in the 2007–08 Premier League season, keeping clean sheets against Manchester United, West Ham
, Aston Villa and Derby County
conceding only five goals.
He signed a new four-year deal with City in September 2007. This was then followed up with an agreement to go on a one-month loan with Championship
side Cardiff City
on 25 October 2007. He made his debut for Cardiff on 27 October 2007 in a 1–1 draw with Scunthorpe United
. He was named 2007 Danish under-21 Talent of the Year.
Towards the end of the loan spell Schmeichel requested that he would be allowed to stay on at Cardiff for a longer period and on 22 November the loan spell was extended until the new year with manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
stating that he could possibly stay at the club for the rest of the season providing Manchester City
do not suffer an injury crisis. However, after Eriksson named Joe Hart
as the number one goalkeeper at Manchester City, Andreas Isaksson
requested a transfer. This meant that Eriksson would not allow Cardiff to keep Schmeichel after his initial loan period ended on the 2 January. On 31 December Eriksson threw Cardiff a lifeline by opening talks for Schmeichel to stay at Ninian Park
. Schmeichel would be allowed to stay for two more matches should Andreas Isaksson
not move until late in the January transfer window. Schmeichel had stated he would like to play for Cardiff again in the future. However, Schmeichel returned to Eastlands
the day after his initial loan expired.
He joined Coventry City
on loan until the end of the season on 13 March. Towards the end of the season his father, Peter Schmeichel, commented during a TV interview that his son was not happy at Manchester City and was set to leave following the end of the season.
Despite wanting to leave, Schmeichel returned to the City of Manchester Stadium at the end of the season and changed to the number 16 shirt. He repeatedly stated that he wanted to leave City and regretted signing a four year contract.
On 16 November, Schmeichel entered a game as a substitute after Joe Hart
injured his ankle in the 14th minute. City went on to a 2–2 result with Hull City
. In December 2008, Schmeichel played his last game for Manchester City in the UEFA Cup
against Racing Santander. On 4 January 2009, he stated in the Daily Mail
newspaper that he was ready to quit the football club after falling down the pecking order at Eastlands Stadium.
side Notts County
in a deal that is believed to have broken the club's previous transfer record. The transfer reunited Schmeichel with his former Manchester City manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson
, who had recently been appointed Director of Football at Notts County. He was the highest paid player at the club, being paid 1 million pounds annually. He made his debut on 22 August and kept a clean sheet in the side's 3–0 win against Dagenham & Redbridge. In September 2009 Schmeichel almost scored with an audacious overhead kick against Morecambe when he came up from a corner late on in the game.
A fine string of performances in October earned Schmeichel the Player of the Month.
During Schmeichel's stay at The Magpies, the club conceded only 0.67 goals per League 2 match (29 goals conceded in 43 league appearances). Schmeichel's clean-sheets-to-game-ratio at Notts County was an impressive 55.8 percent (24 out of 43 league appearances). On 27 April, Schmeichel and Notts County secured the 2009–10 League Two
trophy and promotion for the Football League One
with a 5–0 win against already relegated Darlington
. Shortly before the game, it was announced that Notts County agreed to release Schmeichel at the end of the season despite having four years left on his contract. The reasoning behind this was financial; with Schmeichel earning a reported £15,000 a week having been signed during the brief ownership period of high-spending Munto Finance in the summer 2009. Schmeichel agreed to forgo all his future wages – something which chairman Ray Trew
described as "a huge concession by such a young man".
clubs, Schmeichel signed a two year contract with Leeds United. He joined the club on 1 July 2010. In the 2010–11 squad number announcement Schmeichel was given the number 1 shirt at Leeds. After much speculation during the pre-season over who would be Leeds' first choice goalkeeper for the forthcoming season, it was Schmeichel who was given the nod ahead of Shane Higgs
. He made his debut for the club on Saturday 7 August 2010 in Leeds United's opening Football League Championship match against Derby County
. Despite Leeds losing 2–1, Schmeichel put in an impressive performance, making several crucial saves during the match. After a string of impressive games for Leeds, Schmeichel was nominated for the August Championship Player of the month award but lost out to Q.P.R winger Adel Taarabt
. However Schmeichel did win Sky Sports
Championship player of the month award for August.
After picking up a tendon injury in his foot, Schmeichel missed the game against Swansea City and was ruled out of Leeds' next few games. Whilst out injured Schmeichel appeared on Soccer AM
as one of the guests on the show. After just under two months out, Schmeichel returned to the Leeds starting line-up against Cardiff City
. Schmeichel was set to play against Coventry City on 6 November, but due to the birth of his first child the night before, he missed the game.
On 8 January 2011 Schmeichel helped Leeds earn a 1–1 draw against Arsenal
in the FA Cup
Third Round match at the Emirates Stadium
. After the match, Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas
commented that Schmeichel should have received the match ball for his performance. Although Leeds lost the replay 3–1, Schmeichel produced another impressive display (nearly scoring himself via a header) and he was subsequently named player of the FA Cup
Third Round.
On 20 June 2011 Leeds United announced they had accepted an undisclosed bid for him from Leicester City. With Schmeichel wanting to stay at Leeds for the remainder of his contract he admitted that the decision to sell him was a real shock. Leeds claimed that they felt they wanted to strengthen the goalkeeping position to replace Schmeichel due to the poor goals against ratio.
In the first month of the season, Schmeichel was shown a seemingly needless red card in the 79th minute of Leicester's away game to Nottingham Forest on 20 August 2011 after receiving two yellow cards for 'unsporting conduct'. He received the first card for moving the ball from the penalty spot as Forest's Lewis McGugan was about to take a kick. He then received a second for throwing the ball away after the spot kick was successfully converted. After the match Schmeichel apologised, claiming his back was turned to the referee so didn't know he had received the first of the yellow cards. "I didn't know I had been booked as I had my back to the ref otherwise I would never have done that," he said on his personal Twitter
page. Despite this however, Schmeichel's performances for Leicester quickly began earning him plaudits, with his then manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
claiming him to be on par with England's number goalkeeper Joe Hart
. A short-distant reaction save against Portsmouth
in November 2011 was described by Portsmouth manager Michael Appleton
as "one of the best saves I have seen in a very long time." and by Leicester manager as Nigel Pearson
as "a world-class, outstanding save and was very important at that point of the game,"
in August 2004, and made his international debut in a 0–0 draw with Northern Ireland on 2 September 2004. He went on to play eight under-19 internationals until March 2005, competing with Kenneth Stenild
and Michael Tørnes
for the goalkeeping spot. He was called up for the under-20 team in October 2005, but did not play for the team until October 2006, during his time at Bury. The day after his under-20 debut, Schmeichel was asked to train with the senior Denmark national football team
and was called up as a replacement for injured Theis Rasmussen in the Danish under-21 national team
squad.
He was one of the leading players in the team, and was named Danish under-21 Talent of the Year in November 2007, following three clean sheets in the previous four under-21 games. He played a total 17 under-21 internationals in a row from March 2007 to October 2008, racking up seven clean sheets.
Following his strong showings for Manchester City in the early 2007–08 season, it was reported on 23 August 2007 that The Football Association
were investigating Schmeichel's international status, to see if there was any chance of him foregoing his Danish international status in order to play for the England national football team
; Schmeichel stated that he would only ever play for Denmark. Former Notts County manager Hans Backe
praised Schmeichel and said he should earn a call up to the full Danish national side.
In December 2010, Schmeichel stated that he was hoping to impress Danish national coach Morten Olsen
after his impressive form for Leeds.
In January 2011, following Schmeichel's impressive performance in the FA Cup
against Arsenal
, several media pundits and experts in the Danish media started a debate on who will become the future no 1 goalkeeper on the Danish national team. The experts including Danish national under 21 team coach Keld Bordinggaard
made comparisons between the newly signed Manchester United keeper Anders Lindegaard
and Schmeichel, stating that the two are on approximately the same level.
Schmeichel was called up to the Denmark national football team
, on 13 May 2011 for the first time for the match against Iceland
but remained an unused substitute.
goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel
, who finished his career with Manchester City. Kasper spent most of his childhood living in England, due to his father's playing career, and speaks with an English accent. He attended Hulme Hall school in Cheadle and he also attended Saint Julian's School in Portugal while his father played for Sporting CP in Lisbon
. When Alex Bruce, son of Kasper's father's former Manchester United team-mate Steve Bruce
, joined Kasper at Leeds United, the move saw the two players re-unite after both had previously played football together on the streets as children after school.
Notts County
|-
|rowspan="3"|2005–06
||Manchester City
||Premier League||0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||0||0
|-
|Darlington
(loan)||rowspan="3"|League Two
||4||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||4||0
|-
|rowspan="2"|Bury
(loan)||15||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||15||0
|-
|2006–07
||14||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||14||0
|-
|2006–07
||Falkirk
(loan)||Scottish Premier League
||15||0||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||17||0
|-
|-
|rowspan="3"|2007–08
||Manchester City
||Premier League||7||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||7||0
|-
|Cardiff City
(loan)||rowspan="2"|Championship
||14||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||14||0
|-
|Coventry City
(loan)||9||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||9||0
|-
|2008–09
||Manchester City
||Premier League||1||0||0||0||1||0||1||0||3||0
|-
|2009–10
||rowspan="1"|Notts County
||rowspan="1"|Football League Two
||35||0||5||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||40||0
|-
|2010–11
||Leeds United
||Championship
||37||0||2||0||1||0||0||0||40||0
|-
|2011–12||Leicester City||Championship
||16||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||17||0
104||0||5||0||3||0||1||0||112||0
15||0||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||17||0
132||0||6||0||3||0||1||0||134||0
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
professional football goalkeeper, and son of Peter Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993...
. He plays in the Npower Championship for Leicester City. He played 17 games for the Denmark under-21 national team
Denmark national under-21 football team
The Denmark national under-21 football team has played since 1976 and is controlled by the Danish Football Association. Before 1976, the age limit was 23 years.-U-21 European Championship:*1978 – Quarterfinals*1980 to 1984 – Did not qualify...
. Schmeichel was called up to the Denmark national football team
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
for the first time against Iceland on 13 May 2011.
Schmeichel began his career with Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, but he had loan spells with Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
, Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
and Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
before he made his City debut. Although Schmeichel appeared to have made the City #1 jersey his own at the start of the 2007–08 season, the emergence of Joe Hart
Joe Hart
Charles Joseph John "Joe" Hart is an English football goalkeeper who plays for Premier League club Manchester City and the England national football team and was previously a regular for the England under-21 team....
resulted in Schmeichel being loaned to Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
. The signing of Republic of Ireland international Shay Given
Shay Given
Séamus John James "Shay" Given is an Irish footballer who plays for Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland national team as a goalkeeper. He won the PFA's Player of the Year in 2002....
in January 2009 meant that Schmeichel fell even further down the pecking order at City, and in August 2009, he was allowed to link up with former manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
at Notts County. He spent only one season with the Magpies as, while it was a very successful one for the club and the player himself, changes to the club's financial position made his departure necessary and his contract was terminated by mutual consent. He joined Leeds United in May 2010, but again, his tenure at the club would only last one season before he was the subject of a transfer by Leicester City, where he would again work under Sven-Göran Eriksson.
Manchester City
Schmeichel joined Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
in 2002 on a long-term contract. He joined League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
on a loan deal in January 2006, where he made his professional first team debut against Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
at the 96.6 TFM Arena on 14 January 2006. Darlington won the game 2–1, with Schmeichel conceding a goal to Peterborough striker James Quinn. He gained his first clean sheet three days later against Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
. He made two further appearances before returning to Manchester City.
One month after returning to Manchester City he was loaned out again, this time to Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
in February, where he made 15 appearances in a three-month loan spell. He returned to Bury for a further three months the following season.
Schmeichel joined Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
side Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
on loan from January 2007 until the end of the 2006–07 season. He was named man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
against Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
on 18 February 2007. He revealed in May he would have liked his loan at Falkirk extended and Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
expressed an interest in signing him.
Schmeichel made his Manchester City debut against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
in August 2007. He played against City's rivals and his boyhood team Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on the 19 August 2007 and kept a clean sheet in City's 1–0 home win. Schmeichel saved a penalty from Arsenal's
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011...
on 25 August 2007 at the Emirates Stadium. Despite City losing 1–0 to Arsenal he was named man of the match. He played the first seven of Manchester City's
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
games in the 2007–08 Premier League season, keeping clean sheets against Manchester United, West Ham
West Ham
West Ham is in the London Borough of Newham in London, England. In the west it is a post-industrial neighbourhood abutting the site of the London Olympic Park and in the east it is mostly residential, consisting of Victorian terraced housing interspersed with higher density post-War social housing...
, Aston Villa and Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
conceding only five goals.
He signed a new four-year deal with City in September 2007. This was then followed up with an agreement to go on a one-month loan with Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
on 25 October 2007. He made his debut for Cardiff on 27 October 2007 in a 1–1 draw with Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
. He was named 2007 Danish under-21 Talent of the Year.
Towards the end of the loan spell Schmeichel requested that he would be allowed to stay on at Cardiff for a longer period and on 22 November the loan spell was extended until the new year with manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
stating that he could possibly stay at the club for the rest of the season providing Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
do not suffer an injury crisis. However, after Eriksson named Joe Hart
Joe Hart
Charles Joseph John "Joe" Hart is an English football goalkeeper who plays for Premier League club Manchester City and the England national football team and was previously a regular for the England under-21 team....
as the number one goalkeeper at Manchester City, Andreas Isaksson
Andreas Isaksson
Andreas Isaksson is a Swedish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and for the Swedish national team.-Club career:...
requested a transfer. This meant that Eriksson would not allow Cardiff to keep Schmeichel after his initial loan period ended on the 2 January. On 31 December Eriksson threw Cardiff a lifeline by opening talks for Schmeichel to stay at Ninian Park
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...
. Schmeichel would be allowed to stay for two more matches should Andreas Isaksson
Andreas Isaksson
Andreas Isaksson is a Swedish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and for the Swedish national team.-Club career:...
not move until late in the January transfer window. Schmeichel had stated he would like to play for Cardiff again in the future. However, Schmeichel returned to Eastlands
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
the day after his initial loan expired.
He joined Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
on loan until the end of the season on 13 March. Towards the end of the season his father, Peter Schmeichel, commented during a TV interview that his son was not happy at Manchester City and was set to leave following the end of the season.
Despite wanting to leave, Schmeichel returned to the City of Manchester Stadium at the end of the season and changed to the number 16 shirt. He repeatedly stated that he wanted to leave City and regretted signing a four year contract.
On 16 November, Schmeichel entered a game as a substitute after Joe Hart
Joe Hart
Charles Joseph John "Joe" Hart is an English football goalkeeper who plays for Premier League club Manchester City and the England national football team and was previously a regular for the England under-21 team....
injured his ankle in the 14th minute. City went on to a 2–2 result with Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
. In December 2008, Schmeichel played his last game for Manchester City in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
against Racing Santander. On 4 January 2009, he stated in the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
newspaper that he was ready to quit the football club after falling down the pecking order at Eastlands Stadium.
Notts County
On 14 August 2009, Schmeichel signed for Football League TwoFootball League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
in a deal that is believed to have broken the club's previous transfer record. The transfer reunited Schmeichel with his former Manchester City manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
, who had recently been appointed Director of Football at Notts County. He was the highest paid player at the club, being paid 1 million pounds annually. He made his debut on 22 August and kept a clean sheet in the side's 3–0 win against Dagenham & Redbridge. In September 2009 Schmeichel almost scored with an audacious overhead kick against Morecambe when he came up from a corner late on in the game.
A fine string of performances in October earned Schmeichel the Player of the Month.
During Schmeichel's stay at The Magpies, the club conceded only 0.67 goals per League 2 match (29 goals conceded in 43 league appearances). Schmeichel's clean-sheets-to-game-ratio at Notts County was an impressive 55.8 percent (24 out of 43 league appearances). On 27 April, Schmeichel and Notts County secured the 2009–10 League Two
2009–10 Football League Two
The Football League 2009–10 , was the seventeenth season under its current league division format. It began in August 2009 and ended on 8 May 2010....
trophy and promotion for the Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
with a 5–0 win against already relegated Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
. Shortly before the game, it was announced that Notts County agreed to release Schmeichel at the end of the season despite having four years left on his contract. The reasoning behind this was financial; with Schmeichel earning a reported £15,000 a week having been signed during the brief ownership period of high-spending Munto Finance in the summer 2009. Schmeichel agreed to forgo all his future wages – something which chairman Ray Trew
Ray Trew
Ray Trew is businessman and football club chairman from Lincolnshire. He is a former board member of Lincoln City F.C. and owns a controlling interest in Notts County F.C., Lincoln Ladies F.C. and Nottingham R.F.C.....
described as "a huge concession by such a young man".
Leeds United
On 27 May 2010, having been linked with both Premiership and BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
clubs, Schmeichel signed a two year contract with Leeds United. He joined the club on 1 July 2010. In the 2010–11 squad number announcement Schmeichel was given the number 1 shirt at Leeds. After much speculation during the pre-season over who would be Leeds' first choice goalkeeper for the forthcoming season, it was Schmeichel who was given the nod ahead of Shane Higgs
Shane Higgs
Shane Peter Higgs is an English footballer who is currently without a club after being released by Leeds United in the summer of 2011.-Early career:...
. He made his debut for the club on Saturday 7 August 2010 in Leeds United's opening Football League Championship match against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. Despite Leeds losing 2–1, Schmeichel put in an impressive performance, making several crucial saves during the match. After a string of impressive games for Leeds, Schmeichel was nominated for the August Championship Player of the month award but lost out to Q.P.R winger Adel Taarabt
Adel Taarabt
Adel Taarabt is a Moroccan footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers as an Attacking midfielder and can also be used as a winger....
. However Schmeichel did win Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
Championship player of the month award for August.
After picking up a tendon injury in his foot, Schmeichel missed the game against Swansea City and was ruled out of Leeds' next few games. Whilst out injured Schmeichel appeared on Soccer AM
Soccer AM
Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League...
as one of the guests on the show. After just under two months out, Schmeichel returned to the Leeds starting line-up against Cardiff City
Cardiff city
Cardiff City may refer to:* Cardiff city centre* Cardiff City Council* Cardiff City F.C.* Cardiff City L.F.C.* Cardiff City Stadium...
. Schmeichel was set to play against Coventry City on 6 November, but due to the birth of his first child the night before, he missed the game.
On 8 January 2011 Schmeichel helped Leeds earn a 1–1 draw against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
Third Round match at the Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...
. After the match, Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
commented that Schmeichel should have received the match ball for his performance. Although Leeds lost the replay 3–1, Schmeichel produced another impressive display (nearly scoring himself via a header) and he was subsequently named player of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
Third Round.
On 20 June 2011 Leeds United announced they had accepted an undisclosed bid for him from Leicester City. With Schmeichel wanting to stay at Leeds for the remainder of his contract he admitted that the decision to sell him was a real shock. Leeds claimed that they felt they wanted to strengthen the goalkeeping position to replace Schmeichel due to the poor goals against ratio.
Leicester City
On 27 June 2011, Schmeichel was officially confirmed as a Leicester City player, signing a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee that reunited him for a second time with his former Manchester City manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson.In the first month of the season, Schmeichel was shown a seemingly needless red card in the 79th minute of Leicester's away game to Nottingham Forest on 20 August 2011 after receiving two yellow cards for 'unsporting conduct'. He received the first card for moving the ball from the penalty spot as Forest's Lewis McGugan was about to take a kick. He then received a second for throwing the ball away after the spot kick was successfully converted. After the match Schmeichel apologised, claiming his back was turned to the referee so didn't know he had received the first of the yellow cards. "I didn't know I had been booked as I had my back to the ref otherwise I would never have done that," he said on his personal Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
page. Despite this however, Schmeichel's performances for Leicester quickly began earning him plaudits, with his then manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
claiming him to be on par with England's number goalkeeper Joe Hart
Joe Hart
Charles Joseph John "Joe" Hart is an English football goalkeeper who plays for Premier League club Manchester City and the England national football team and was previously a regular for the England under-21 team....
. A short-distant reaction save against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in November 2011 was described by Portsmouth manager Michael Appleton
Michael Appleton
Michael Antony Appleton is an English former footballer who is the current manager of Portsmouth.He played as a midfielder until his playing career was cut short by a serious knee injury. He also played as a professional for Manchester United, Lincoln City, Grimsby Town and Preston North End...
as "one of the best saves I have seen in a very long time." and by Leicester manager as Nigel Pearson
Nigel Pearson
Nigel Graham Pearson is an English football manager and former professional player. He is currently in his second spell as manager of Leicester City, having previously managed Hull City, Southampton and Carlisle United, and been assistant manager for England Under-21s and Newcastle United...
as "a world-class, outstanding save and was very important at that point of the game,"
International career
While at Manchester City, Kasper Schmeichel was called up for the Danish under-19 national teamDenmark national under-19 football team
The Denmark national under-19 football team was founded in 1950 as a under-18 team. In 2001, it was changed to a under-19 team.-Competitive record:...
in August 2004, and made his international debut in a 0–0 draw with Northern Ireland on 2 September 2004. He went on to play eight under-19 internationals until March 2005, competing with Kenneth Stenild
Kenneth Stenild
Kenneth Stenild Nielsen is a Danish professional footballer who currently plays for Danish Superliga side AC Horsens. He is regarded as one of the most talented goalkeepers in Denmark, having played 33 matches for various Danish youth national teams...
and Michael Tørnes
Michael Tørnes
Michael Elvers Tørnes is a Danish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Danish Superliga club Brøndby IF. He has played 18 games for various Danish national youth teams....
for the goalkeeping spot. He was called up for the under-20 team in October 2005, but did not play for the team until October 2006, during his time at Bury. The day after his under-20 debut, Schmeichel was asked to train with the senior Denmark national football team
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
and was called up as a replacement for injured Theis Rasmussen in the Danish under-21 national team
Denmark national under-21 football team
The Denmark national under-21 football team has played since 1976 and is controlled by the Danish Football Association. Before 1976, the age limit was 23 years.-U-21 European Championship:*1978 – Quarterfinals*1980 to 1984 – Did not qualify...
squad.
He was one of the leading players in the team, and was named Danish under-21 Talent of the Year in November 2007, following three clean sheets in the previous four under-21 games. He played a total 17 under-21 internationals in a row from March 2007 to October 2008, racking up seven clean sheets.
Following his strong showings for Manchester City in the early 2007–08 season, it was reported on 23 August 2007 that The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
were investigating Schmeichel's international status, to see if there was any chance of him foregoing his Danish international status in order to play for the England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
; Schmeichel stated that he would only ever play for Denmark. Former Notts County manager Hans Backe
Hans Backe
Hans Backe is a Swedish former soccer player. He is currently the head coach of New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....
praised Schmeichel and said he should earn a call up to the full Danish national side.
In December 2010, Schmeichel stated that he was hoping to impress Danish national coach Morten Olsen
Morten Olsen
Morten Per Olsen is a Danish football manager and former football player. He has been the head coach of the Danish national team since 2000, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup...
after his impressive form for Leeds.
In January 2011, following Schmeichel's impressive performance in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, several media pundits and experts in the Danish media started a debate on who will become the future no 1 goalkeeper on the Danish national team. The experts including Danish national under 21 team coach Keld Bordinggaard
Keld Bordinggaard
Keld Tande Bordinggard is a Danish former football player and current football manager. He was most recently the head coach of the Danish national under-21 team from July 2006 until the U21 European Championship in June 2011...
made comparisons between the newly signed Manchester United keeper Anders Lindegaard
Anders Lindegaard
Anders Rozenkrantz Lindegaard is a Danish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Manchester United, having joined the club in November 2010. He initially came through the ranks of hometown club Odense Boldklub, but left due to a lack of first team opportunities. He got his senior breakthrough...
and Schmeichel, stating that the two are on approximately the same level.
Schmeichel was called up to the Denmark national football team
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, on 13 May 2011 for the first time for the match against Iceland
Iceland national football team
The Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
but remained an unused substitute.
Goalkeeping range
Schmeichel signed an ambassadorial agreement with Precision Goalkeeping on 17 August 2010 which will include the release of the "Schmeichel" Goalkeeping Range.Personal life
Schmeichel is the son of former Denmark international and Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993...
, who finished his career with Manchester City. Kasper spent most of his childhood living in England, due to his father's playing career, and speaks with an English accent. He attended Hulme Hall school in Cheadle and he also attended Saint Julian's School in Portugal while his father played for Sporting CP in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. When Alex Bruce, son of Kasper's father's former Manchester United team-mate Steve Bruce
Steve Bruce
Stephen Roger "Steve" Bruce is an English football manager and former player. Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, he was a promising schoolboy footballer but was rejected by a number of professional clubs. He was on the verge of quitting the game altogether when he was offered a trial with Gillingham...
, joined Kasper at Leeds United, the move saw the two players re-unite after both had previously played football together on the streets as children after school.
Club
Manchester City- Vodacom ChallengeVodacom ChallengeThe Vodacom Challenge is a association football pre-season tournament that features Vodacom-sponsored South African giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs plus from 2006 onwards an invited European club...
Runner-up: 2009
Notts County
- League TwoFootball League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
: 2009–102009–10 Football League TwoThe Football League 2009–10 , was the seventeenth season under its current league division format. It began in August 2009 and ended on 8 May 2010....
Individual
- 2007 Danish under-21 Talent of the Year
- League Two Player of the Month: October 2009
- PFA League Two Fans' Player of the Year 2009/2010PFA Fans' Player of the YearThe ESPN Professional Footballers' Association Fans' Player of the Year award is given to footballers in the top four flights of English football, the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two.The shortlist is compiled by the members of the Professional Footballers'...
- League 2 PFA Team of the YearPFA Team of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
: 2009–10 - FA Cup 2010/11 Third Round Proper Player of the Round
Career statistics
- Last updated 2010-11-07
|-
|rowspan="3"|2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
||Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
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|Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
(loan)||rowspan="3"|League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
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|rowspan="2"|Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
(loan)||15||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||15||0
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|2006–07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
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|2006–07
2006-07 in Scottish football
The 2006–07 season was the 110th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2006:*9 July: Rangers defender Fernando Ricksen is banned for the club's pre-season trip to South Africa, following an incident on the outbound flight. Manager Paul Le Guen cited "wholly inappropriate and...
||Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
(loan)||Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
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|rowspan="3"|2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
||Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
||Premier League||7||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||7||0
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|Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
(loan)||rowspan="2"|Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||14||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||14||0
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|Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
(loan)||9||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||9||0
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|2008–09
Manchester City F.C. season 2008-09
The 2008–09 season was Manchester City Football Clubs seventh consecutive season playing in the Premier League, the top division of English football, and its twelfth season since the Premier League was first created with Manchester City as one of the its original 22 founding member clubs...
||Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
||Premier League||1||0||0||0||1||0||1||0||3||0
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|2009–10
Notts County F.C. season 2009-10
Notts County are the oldest club in the Football League and the 2009–10 season will be their 121st year in The Football League. A Middle East Investment took over Notts County in early June with Sven-Göran Eriksson becoming Director of Football and he left on 12 February...
||rowspan="1"|Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
||rowspan="1"|Football League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
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|2010–11
2010–11 Leeds United A.F.C. season
This article details Leeds United A.F.C.'s 2010–11 season in The Championship. The season saw Leeds return to the second tier of English football for the first time in four years with them finishing in a respectable 7th position, just missing out on the play-offs...
||Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
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|2011–12||Leicester City||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
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