Celtic star in line to smash incredible Scottish Premiership record in his first season
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel took another step towards a long-running Scottish Premiership record as he picked up a clean sheet in his side’s comprehensive 3-0 triumph over St Mirren.
In truth, the veteran goalkeeper had little to do at Parkhead as a imperious Celtic defence reduced The Buddies to just one shot on target, but the 38-year-old still had to be alert to deny Jonah Ayunga from scoring a consolation in the dying moments of the contest.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe result marked Celtic’s 17th victory of the season and a perfect response to an uncharacteristically lacklustre showing against Rangers last time out.
It also saw the Hoops extend their gap at the top of the league table to a seemingly insurmountable 13 points after Rangers, who have struggled away from Ibrox, dropped points once again in a pulsating 3-3 draw in Edinburgh against in-form Hibs.
Celtic’s incredible defensive record has been fundamental to their success this season. So far this term, the Hoops have conceded a league-low seven goals whilst also keeping an incredible 16 clean sheets in that period.
The Hoops have been particularly impenetrable in front of their own supporters and only Aberdeen during a 2-2 draw back in October have managed to find their way past Schmeichel when playing at Parkhead.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdKasper Schmeichel edges closer to Scottish Premiership immortality
When Kasper Schmeichel arrived to replace fan-favourite Joe Hart after his retirement over the summer, there were few people who doubted that Celtic had signed a top class shot-stopper.
Schmeichel won the Premier League and FA Cup during his time at Leicester City, had led his country to the semi-finals of the Euros in 2020 and had garnered experience for a number of top clubs including Leeds United, Manchester City, Nice and Anderlecht.
But at 38-years of age, some doubted whether Schmeichel would still be able to perform to the same standard out in Scotland. But so far he has not only helped Celtic claim a huge league at the top of the table, but also saved the club in crucial moments with an incredible 87.5% save percentage from shots this season.
Schmeichel’s record of 16 clean sheets from 20 matches, leaves him firmly on course to become the Scottish Premiership record holder ahead of the likes of Craig Gordon (2014/15 and 2016/17) and Fraser Forster (2013/14) who both kept 20 clean sheets while leading Celtic to the title.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.