Copenhagen, May 27 (IANS) Former Leicester City and Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 39 after failing to recover from a serious shoulder injury.

The experienced goalkeeper, who was recently with Celtic F.C., had been sidelined since February and decided to end his career after consulting specialists regarding the injury. “I believe that now is the right time,” Schmeichel told Danish broadcaster TV2.

The injury originally occurred during Denmark’s UEFA Nations League quarter-final defeat to the Portugal football team in March 2025. Despite suffering the problem, Schmeichel continued playing as Denmark had already used all their substitutes.

The veteran goalkeeper later aggravated the injury during Celtic’s UEFA Europa League defeat to VfB Stuttgart nearly a year later.

Schmeichel had initially hoped to continue playing and was reportedly prepared to undergo a lengthy rehabilitation process to extend his career. However, medical advice ultimately forced him to step away from the game.

“I didn’t realise how bad it was in March. It’s been a long process. When I landed on it in February, I could tell straight away that something was seriously wrong.

“I have consulted with various surgeons and experts regarding my shoulder, and they have told me that I should not expect to return to playing top-flight football,” he added.

The son of legendary former Manchester United F.C. goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, Kasper began his professional career at Manchester City F.C. He made his senior debut for the club in August 2007 and kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 win over West Ham United F.C. He followed it with shutouts against Derby County F.C. and Manchester United.

Schmeichel signed for Leicester City F.C. in 2011, where he enjoyed the most successful period of his career.

He became a central figure in Leicester City’s historic 2015-16 Premier League triumph, one of the greatest underdog stories in football history. Schmeichel made 40 appearances across all competitions during that memorable campaign as Leicester shocked English football to win the league title.

The Danish goalkeeper later added another major honour when Leicester won the FA Cup for the first time in 2021 under manager Brendan Rodgers. Schmeichel kept a clean sheet in the 1-0 final victory over Chelsea F.C. at Wembley.

He also helped Leicester defeat Manchester City 1-0 to lift the FA Community Shield at the start of the following season.

“I think everyone dreams of saying goodbye on the field, but you don’t always get what you want. I’ve had so much else along the way, so football doesn’t owe me anything. I’ve had so many opportunities, so many experiences. What stands out most are the friendships and connections I’ve made. The moments I’ve shared with them – for better or worse,” he concluded.

At the international level, Schmeichel earned 120 caps for the Denmark football team and represented his country at the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. He was also part of the Denmark side that reached the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2020.

–IANS

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