Evergreen Kasper Schmeichel can be Celtic keeper for YEARS as former teammate reveals why it's not his swansong yet

Anders Lindegaard doesn't see Schmeichel hanging the gloves up any time soon

Kasper Schmeichel is set to shimmer on his long-awaited return to the Champions League spotlight.

And former team-mate Anders Lindegaard believes mindset and fire hold the key to the Celtic star staying at the top into his forties. Schmeichel has made a sparkling start to his Parkhead career with just a solitary goal conceded in his first five games. The 37-year-old added two more clean sheets for his country during the international break and is back in Glasgow ready to go again.

Schmeichel faces Hearts on Saturday before the Champions League campaign gets underway against Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday. Seven-and-a-half years from a run to the last eight of the competition with Leicester City which ended with defeat to Atletico Madrid, the No.1 is heading back to the biggest stage.

Lindegaard, a former Manchester United and Denmark ace, believes his compatriot will relish the opportunity and shine. He said: “It’s fantastic for him to be playing Champions League football again, especially at this time of his career. He’s had a very good start at Celtic and that is important for a goalkeeper.

“If you can start well when you move to a new club it takes you a long way and really helps the rest of the team. Kasper is a great signing for Celtic. It’s a great move for them and for him. He is a brilliant goalkeeper, he is top class and has a lot of experience.

“He will have a positive influence on the Celtic team, he has a lot of top level experience in club and international football. They have made a very good signing with him.”

The departure of Joe Hart left a gaping void in the Parkhead ranks in terms of his experience as well as his ability. However, Schmeichel’s arrival filled the gap perfectly. Turning 38 in November, a one-year deal with a further 12 months was signed.

Celtic’s signing of Finn Viljami Sinisalo hinted at succession-planning for the short-term work of the Dane. But Schmeichel’s famous father Peter is sure his boy can prolong his career as he said: “Whether you’re 14 or 40 doesn’t matter if you help the team win.

“I watch every match that my son plays and I see no difference between now and 10 years ago. I know his passion for this, so it’s no surprise to me. For me, it doesn’t feel like it’s towards the end. It doesn’t, so there’s nothing sad about it. I think the focus must lie somewhere else entirely. I see many, many, many good years ahead of him.”

Lindegaard agrees that age need not be a barrier going forward as he said: “He has had a long career, but still has plenty to offer. It is hard to keep going when you get older. I played to 39 and could have stopped a few years earlier. The critical moment for a goalkeeper, and any player, is when your mind goes. When that happens and you can’t motivate yourself any more then the mind will quickly follow.

“You stop doing all the critical little things in the gym and in training, the little boring things. When you don’t have the motivation to do the small things any more then the body follows the mind. I am a firm believer that when most footballers retire it’s because the head has gone before the body.

“You see players playing until they’re past 40 and are still very fit. So I don’t see why players can’t play on much longer, but I understand it too because it all comes down to the motivation.

“It’s a huge task for your mind to still have that fire, that sparkle to train every day at the level you need to. Being a footballer is a tough job, players now, especially, are under an inhuman amount of pressure. They have a lot to deal with.

“I understand people say they get paid a lot of money but they also have a lot of responsibility for people all over the planet because they’re watching them all the time. There is a huge amount of pressure and it’s hard to do it. To keep doing it until you’re 40 takes a special mindset.”

For the time being, Schemichel is savouring his switch to Glasgow and Rodgers has a keeper whom he knows well and offers the attributes he craves within his team.

The Dane’s quality will be an asset in the Champions League as Lindegaard added: “Kasper is very good with his feet and already has that connection with Brendan Rodgers. He knows what he is getting with him, he knows that he will fit in with the way he likes his teams to play. We were around the national team at the same time so we know each other well. We still speak now and again when we run into each other.”