Former Leicester City and Manchester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has revealed he has suffered a serious shoulder injury that could end his professional career.
Celtic keeper Kasper Schmeichel says he may have played his last game (Image: Luca Amedeo Bizzarri)
Kasper Schmeichel says he may have played his last game as a professional footballer as he awaits the first of two shoulder surgeries that could keep him out for a year.
The 39-year-old Celtic goalkeeper has not played since February 22 and is scheduled to go under the knife later this month. He was working with his father, Peter Schmeichel, as a commentator on Tuesday night’s Champions League match on CBS Sports Golasso when he revealed the extent of his shoulder problem.
And Schmeichel has admitted that his post-surgery rehabilitation period could keep him out of action for up to 12 months, raising doubts about his chances of playing again.
“Maybe I could have played my last soccer game,” Schmeichel told CBS Sports Golazo.
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“I’ve been a footballer since I was born. It’s shocking. It’s very, very difficult to accept my feelings right now.
“I got the message (Tuesday) that this could be the end of my career. By the time I can get my health back, I could be plus-40.”
“I’m going to do everything I can to see if I can come back. If I could come back from an injury like this, it would probably be one of the greatest feats of my career. I’m going to fight, I’m going to try everything I can. I’m going to rehab.”
Schmeichel, who won the Premier League and FA Cup with Leicester City, will return to Celtic in the summer of 2024.
Schmeichel revealed his injury problems while appearing as a pundit with his father Peter Schmeichel (Image: Oli Scarf)
He added: “I now need two surgeries to fix my shoulder. I tore my bicep, tore my rotator cuff, dislocated my shoulder and tore my labrum. Everything is gone.”
“In understandable terms, it’s like an outfielder working on his ACL and Achilles tendon at the same time. It’s like 10 to 12 months of rehab.
“Football means everything to me. It’s my whole life, it’s my whole identity.”
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