Sinisalo sets out Celtic plan as keeper makes Kasper Schmeichel claim
The former Aston Villa shotstopper took over from the veteran Danish keeper when he was out injured and impressed during his seven-game stint, which included a derby clash at Ibrox.
He's also back up with Finland to Lukas Hradecky and is currently on international duty, but he's made it clear his ambition is to become Schmeichel's successor.
Read more:
Sinisalo said: "Kasper has one year left on his contract. I have four. We are proceeding according to plan. I am 15 years younger than him.
"Hopefully next season I'll get more minutes. I'll just try to play as well as I can when the opportunity arises. We'll see what happens.
"Kasper is an excellent guy. He supported our team well and gave us tips when he was out with an injury. We are a good team together.
"Every footballer wants to play. However, I knew that in front of me was an experienced top goalkeeper who is, so to speak, coming to the end of his career.
"And that I am the young goalkeeper who is more of a project behind him.
"There must be some patience from me.
"But the plan is to be the first-choice goalkeeper at Celtic one day and hopefully that will open doors for me here on the national team as well.
"Sinisalo impressed during his spell as the veteran Dane's replacement, which included an Old Firm game at Ibrox.
He said: "Even though the end of the season was disappointing because we didn't win all three trophies, I enjoyed it.
"I played seven of the last ten games. I'm quite happy with what I achieved towards the end of the season.
"I got to experience what it's like to be a Celtic goalkeeper and I got to play in the match that won the league.
"I lifted that trophy with a slightly better conscience because I had played a part in winning it myself.
"And it was cool to experience the game at Ibrox. There were a few nerves before the game - 95 per cent of the crowd were home fans, every one of whom hates you.
"I will definitely remember the experience forever."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
30 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Neil Lennon challenges Rangers, Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen to raise standards after 'drop off' in quality
Lennon reckons the football - outwith his old club Celtic - is not as exciting as it used to be and hopes to see an improvement in the coming season Neil Lennon says it's time the chasing pack in the Scottish Premiership raised their game. The Dunfermline boss reckons there's been a marked drop in quality outwith Celtic in recent seasons - and the football isn't as exciting as it once was. Rangers and Hearts have been boosted with fresh investment and new management ahead of the new campaign as they look to mount a challenge for silverware. Scottish Cup winners Aberdeen can also look forward to another Euro windfall after clinching guaranteed group stage football while Hibs have welcomed the input of Bill Foley's Black Knights for the past year. Now Lennon, whose Pars side have also benefited from a cash injection from new owners, hopes the positive vibes in boardrooms at our top clubs can be reflected on the park too. Russell Martin and Derek McInnes are set to bring in new eras at Rangers and Hearts and Lennon reckons the challenge is there for them and others to lift their levels. Asked if the fresh investment in the game is exciting, he said: 'I hope so. I've not been overly impressed with the levels in the last couple of years. 'So I'm hoping there's going to be an improvement in the consistency of performance and quality from the teams. 'Not just domestically, but in Europe as well. I think there's been a drop-off. I don't know if it's over-coaching or over-analysis. It's not just in Scottish football. 'It's just a view I have of the game overall. I don't think it's as good as it was maybe a decade ago. Not as exciting or teams aren't as consistent as they used to be. 'I'll give an example. My first year back in the Premiership at Hibs we got 67 points and finished fourth. I don't know what fourth place got you this year, 53. 'Take Celtic out the equation and for the rest of the teams, the big clubs, I'm thinking there has to be more consistency there to give the other teams a bloody nose. 'Is outside investment what's been needed? I don't know. We've had outside investment before.' Analytics is the buzzword across Scottish football these days with Hearts benefiting from Brighton owner Tony Bloom's Jamestown tool and Hibs well down the road using Foley's Black Knights model. It's coming into play at Dunfermline too under new owners James Bord and Evan Sofer. Bord is a former poker champion who founded the sports data company Short Circuit Science. The US-based businessman even spent time working for Hearts' new investor Bloom earlier in his career. Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen, Connor Young and Tashan Oakley-Boothe have already been signed with the help of analytics. And Lennon admits it's about who does data best. He said: 'Yeah, probably. Brighton are the classic example, Brentford as well. The improvement in those two clubs has been fantastic and their recruitment is fantastic. 'It's all about that, it is 80 percent of my job, that will help me bring success to the football club. It's not set in stone, if I like a player and say I think we should go for him then he (Bord) would have no qualms about doing that. 'But he does bring a different variation on how you recruit a player, what to look at. You need the evidence and already with Mullen, with Young and with Oakley-Boothe we are seeing evidence that can be successful. 'Management is a really different now. A lot of clubs have a structure where if the appointment of a head coach doesn't work out they take him out and put someone else in but the structure remains. 'That was not the case when I started managing 15 years ago. A lot of clubs have that template. We don't as yet but I think it is something James wants to bring to the club.'
Belfast Telegraph
32 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Justin Devenny excited to try and nail down new position with Northern Ireland
The 21-year-old was on the bench that day but, having played a significant part in the earlier rounds for the Eagles, he deserved to celebrate like the rest of his jubilant team-mates. Fast forward to Saturday night in Copenhagen and the midfielder was putting in a serious shift in a left-wing-back type role for Northern Ireland in their 2-1 friendly defeat to Denmark. The position may have been relatively new to him but Devenny was one of Michael O'Neill's most impressive performers, creating an early goal when Pierre-Emile Højbjerg scored into his own net in the sixth minute. The lead would last until first half injury time when Gustav Isaksen finished superbly, with Danish skipper Christian Eriksen netting the winner after the break as the home side piled on the pressure. Devenny admitted it was tough going at times but he revelled in the experience of the atmospheric Parken. 'It was a new position for me but I enjoyed it, and wherever I play for the team I'm willing to do a shift,' he said. 'The first 45 was probably better than the second 45. There is a lot to learn, especially in a new position, but we'll be ready to take on information, watch the game back and see where we can improve.' Huddersfield's Brodie Spencer has occupied the left side in recent games. In Devenny's three previous internationals he was in the middle of the park but revealed he had been working on a potential new role in the build-up to the Denmark game. 'It was maybe the second day in camp that Michael told me he was thinking of playing me there and we did a few bits and bobs in training,' said Devenny. 'I thought I did well and then when he told me I'd be starting out I tried to understand the position a bit more. To be fair, I'm familiar with it from Palace as well. I know the roles and responsibilities of it and it's just putting that into place. 'I enjoy it. It is a different experience for me. There's probably a bit more high speed running. 'I was able to get on the ball against Denmark and try to understand the runs from my team-mates and try to pick them out. I thought first half I did well and in the second half there was a lot of work off the ball, but you have to be prepared to do that in international football.' Influential people at Palace like Devenny's mentality. He has brought it with him to international level. 'When they scored (to make it 2-1) we should maybe have shown a bit more belief to try and get the upper hand again rather than soaking up pressure, though there were positives to take as well.' One was the goal, which was very much down to him reading a pass from a Danish player and intercepting it. Then he drove into the box, with his cross causing havoc. 'That's a big part of being a full-back in this team. You have to be aggressive when there is a chance to win the ball,' he said. 'I saw what was happening with their pass and took off and intercepted it. I then saw the goal and was going to shoot but squared it across and thankfully it went in.' Ultimately, Denmark would come back and secure a deserved victory on a night when Northern Ireland worked extremely hard off the ball but weren't good enough on it. To a man, every player post match admitted that was an area that they needed to improve on. Devenny made the point, though, that games like the one in Denmark can benefit O'Neill's young guns when the World Cup qualifiers begin with a double-header in September away to Luxembourg and Germany. 'Absolutely. It is getting that team togetherness knowing the way we play,' said Devenny. 'This is my third camp and it's about understanding the players I'm playing with, especially against tough opposition like Denmark. It's a great learning experience. I think that builds momentum into the big games. 'When you are a kid, one of the main things you think of is playing in the World Cup. We have got that chance to try and do that. Me and all the boys are ready for that and buzzing about it.' A quality player, Devenny is a good talker too. Born in Scotland, it is their loss and Northern Ireland's gain that he has thrown his lot in with O'Neill's youthful squad, with the former Airdrie ace eligible through his mum. 'Northern Ireland showed trust in me and since I've come in, that's my fourth game. The lads are brilliant and the coaching staff are brilliant. I want to learn and improve and I'm loving it," he points out. Next should come a first Windsor Park start against Iceland on Tuesday. 'I haven't started at Windsor yet. I came on against Switzerland (in March), so hopefully I'll get a start. It's a special atmosphere and the fans are great, so I can't wait for that,' says Devenny. Mention the FA Cup Final triumph over City and his face lights up. 'Now it has probably sunk in but at the time I was in shock,' he states. 'It was such a big achievement at such a young age. I'll probably look back on my career in times to come and think of that day. It was special, and to do it with a special group of boys was great.'
The National
38 minutes ago
- The National
Iceland keeper tells Scotland rookie how to bounce back from errors
The 22-year-old wasn't even meant to be number two to Angus Gunn, but Robby McCrorie's warm-up knock, combined with Gunn's injury six minutes in against Iceland, meant the rookie was thrust in for his senior international bow. And it is difficult to think of many other Scotland debuts that have gone worse. Read more: Seconds after coming on, Slicker gave the ball away while playing out from the back. It eventually came to Andri Gudjohnsen, who curved it into the top corner for Iceland's opener. The stopper then could, and probably should, have done better for the visitors' second and third goals. Elias Olafsson, who watched his fellow keeper's nightmarish evening from between the Iceland sticks, couldn't hide his solace. "It's always tough, especially when you come into the game cold off the bench," he said. "Then, when you come in and make some mistakes, it's hard to get back into the game. I feel empathy for him. "It's not the preparation you want for your debut, to not know you're coming in this early in the game as well. It's difficult. To come into the game and know you're going to play, that's 100% the best thing, in my opinion. It's just about now to go to the hotel, forget about this and move on. "It's not going to be the most fun of nights, but it's about keeping your head up. That's how it is. People see the mistakes. You have to be strong mentally for that. Of course, you hope you make them in training, not in the games. But you can't always. It was not his day today. That's how it is. It was a hard game to come into. I feel it's hard making any debut, coming in when you don't expect to come in. That's how it is when you're a goalkeeper. It's a lonely position, it really is. You can either be a hero or nothing." Friday marked Olafsson's seventh appearance for his country. He plays his football for Danish top-flight outfit FC Midtjylland, and has done so since 2018. Prior to his Hampden visit, the 25-year-old had only won two games when starting for Iceland, both of which came against Liechtenstein, the nation currently ranked 204th in the world by FIFA. The rarity of a victory, therefore, made his trip to Glasgow's southside all the sweeter, even though he expected more from Scotland. "It's a really big one [win], especially with the new things we're trying to build. It worked out pretty well. Apart from the last 20 minutes, where we fell back a little bit trying to keep the ball a little bit, it went well. "It was really nice to play in front of the Scottish fans as well. It was a nice experience. Coming into the game, I felt like we were going to be under more pressure. I think we handled it well, their pressure. We could play out of it. It's nice to be a part of a win and feel like you brought something to the team. It's a fantastic feeling." Part of Olafsson's sympathy for Slicker comes from the fact that he himself once made a high-profile error, albeit not for his country. When Midtjylland travelled to face FCSB in Europa League action last season, he gave the ball straight to the feet of Daniel Birligea almost immediately after the second-half restart. His team lost the game 2-0, yet that's life as a goalkeeper. "I had one [error] in a Europa League game. It's a pretty big mistake from kick-off, but that's how it is. You just have to be honest. It's a mistake by you. 'You just have to be honest and forget about it. It's a part of the game. When we make mistakes, it's very obvious — it leads to a goal. It's a bit of a different position to the outfield players." Next up for Iceland after their eye-catching Scotland victory is another friendly, this time across the water against Northern Ireland in Belfast. Azerbaijan, France and Ukraine then stand in their way of making it to what would only be a second World Cup next year. While an arduous qualifying campaign lies ahead, Olafsson relishes the international scene and the refreshing dynamic it provides in comparison to club football. "It's a different game. It's a little bit like European football. If you make mistakes, you get it in the face. It's a different kind of football from the club level." Slicker will undoubtedly have been down in the dumps after Friday. He had only played one senior match in the entirety of the recent 2024/25 campaign, and it showed. The stopper didn't look sharp, yet going forward, things can surely only improve. His teammates will rally around him, even if Olafsson didn't get the chance to express his sympathy in person. "No," he replied when asked if he spoke to Slicker post-match. "Unfortunately, I was too high. It's a big night for me as well. It's a nice feeling." Scotland travel to Liechtenstein on Monday for the final game before their World Cup qualification quest commences. Whether Clarke will rotate his team after the Iceland loss remains to be seen, although one thing is for sure: victory is a must, or the mood music surrounding the national team will enter into a state of crisis, if it isn't already.
