For 17 years, Kasper Schmeichel felt drawn towards Celtic. Even when his storied career saw him zig-zagging across countries and continents, he believed there would come a day when fate would rest its hand on his broad shoulders.
‘There was always something with Celtic for some reason,’ said the one-time Falkirk loan player.
‘We’ve had (his fellow Danes) Morten Wieghorst and Thomas Gravesen playing here and it was always a club that appealed to me in some way.’
The desire to finally cross the threshold crystallised in more recent times. As Schmeichel headed abroad to play for Nice and Anderlecht after his long association with Leicester ended, he watched from afar as his ex-Manchester City team-mate Joe Hart went out in a blaze of glory in Glasgow.
‘For Joe to get the respect and adulation he deserved at Celtic, after all he had been through, I was quite thankful to the Celtic fans for that,’ said the 37-year-old goalkeeper.
‘I watched the trophy day and cup final and was very impressed with how good a send-off he got.’
Great pals Schmeichel, above left, and Hart now both have Celtic on their illustrious CVs
Schmeichel is delighted to join what he describes as a winning culture at Parkhead
The Danish goalkeeper is unveiled in front of the media at Celtic Park
As Schmeichel watched Hart parade silverware through a blizzard of confetti at Hampden, he was taken back to how it all began for both of them.
Seven months younger than Schmeichel, Hart got his nose in front in their formative years to make the Manchester City jersey his own. A glut of honours and 75 England caps duly followed.
Schmeichel’s route to the winner’s podium was more circuitous. That loan spell at Falkirk in 2007 was one of five he undertook before moving permanently to Notts County, then Leeds. Each one was a key staging post before claiming his own slice of history with title-winning Leicester in 2016.
To follow in Hart’s footsteps at Celtic now feels serendipitous.
‘Who would have thought?’ he smiled. ‘Our 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 (City) goalkeeping coach was in the stands. I thought he was watching me. Obviously, he wasn’t - he was watching Joe.
‘Then three or four months later, Joe bowled in the door.
‘We instantly hit it off. We had very compatible personalities. We wanted to win and to be the best.
‘At that time neither of us were number ones.
‘We were just young kids trying to be better, trying to figure out how do we get to that point.
‘We’d spend so much time watching goalkeepers, trying things out.
The career paths of Schmeichel and Hart seem to have been intertwined
Schmeichel has played in Scotland before as a young on-loan keeper at Falkirk
Now Schmeichel finds himself at Celtic where he hopes to quickly make an impact
‘We’d watch clips of (Gigi) Buffon, (Iker) Casillas, (Oliver) Kahn, whoever. And we’d try to emulate them in training and see if it would help us and work for us.
‘We’d go and play tennis or whatever after training because we felt that would help with our footwork. We did anything we could to be better. We pushed each other.
‘Joe at the time was probably ahead of me in many respects. He was the one who got the debut in front of me.
‘We’ve always been very close friends. When I had my chance in the Premier League, Joe was nothing but supportive.
‘We’ve followed each other. Our families are friends. We see each other outside of football.
‘I honestly didn’t expect him to retire before me, being younger. It’s crazy how football works sometimes.’
Hart felt reborn the moment he walked through the door at Parkhead. While Schmeichel’s career isn’t quite in the same need of salvation, he plainly feels like the challenge he’s signed up for is just right.
‘I wanted to be part of a winning culture, at a club where you are expected to win every game.’
In Brendan Rodgers, the man who took Leicester to an FA Cup triumph in 2021, he feels there’s also a meeting of minds.
‘Winning,’ said the keeper. ‘That’s the only word I keep repeating and keep hearing. It’s about winning. That’s what it’s like to be at Celtic.
‘The time in my career when I was at my best, and happiest, was under Brendan at Leicester.
‘I had a lot of positive memories from that time.
‘We won the FA Cup final, he elevated my game and was an important person for me.
‘To get the chance to work with him again is a big thing and I am grateful for that opportunity.’
Schmeichel is committed to a year and not averse to extending the arrangement.
Schmeichel familiarises himself with his new surroundings at Celtic Park
‘I am not the type of guy who sets limitations or expectations. How long can I play for? It’s down to myself and my desire.’
He’s counting the minutes to the visit of Rangers at the start of next month although the experience will not be entirely new to him.
‘I just remember some of the lads at Falkirk saying you’ve got to experience it. It was one of them that helped me get a ticket,’ he recalled.
‘I didn’t need the baseball cap. No one recognised me back then.’
His fervent hope is that Matt O’Riley, his Denmark team-mate, is still on board when the day dawns.
‘I’m trying everything, trust me,’ he smiled. ‘But he’s not given anything away yet. He’s a top-quality player.’