Peter Schmeichel

danish association football player

Peter Bolesław Schmeichel ( danish pronunciation : [ ˈpʰe̝ˀtɐ ˈsmɑjˀkl̩ ] ; born 18 November 1963 ) is a danish former professional football player who played as a goalkeeper. He is well known for his most successful years at English cabaret Manchester United, whom he captained to victory in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final to complete the Treble. He besides won the UEFA Euro 1992 with his nation Denmark. Born in Gladsaxe, Copenhagen, Schmeichel was celebrated for his daunting physique – at 1.91 molarity ( 6 foot 3 in ) improbable and weighing close up to 100 kg ( 15 st 10 pound ) during his playing days – and wore specially made size XXXL football shirts. [ 2 ] A cutthroat rival, he was known for his brassy, unstinting criticism of perceived mistakes by his defenders. [ 3 ] Unusually for a goalkeeper, Schmeichel scored 11 goals during his career, including one for the national team. He is besides the most capped player for the Denmark national team, with 129 games between 1987 and 2001. In addition to Euro 92, he played for his country at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and three extra european backing tournaments. He captained the national team in 30 matches. He besides represented Gladsaxe Hero, Hvidovre, Brøndby, Sporting CP, Aston Villa and Manchester City in a career that lasted from 1981 until 2003 and yielded 24 trophies.

Reading: Peter Schmeichel

Regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all-time, he was voted the IFFHS World ‘s Best goalkeeper in 1992 and 1993, and in 2000, the IFFHS besides ranked Schmeichel among the clear 10 goalkeepers of the twentieth hundred, and is argued by many to be the greatest goalkeeper in Premier League history aboard Petr Čech. [ 4 ] In 2001, Schmeichel won a public poll held by Reuters, in which the majority of the 200,000 participants voted him as the best goalkeeper always, ahead of Lev Yashin and Gordon Banks. [ 5 ] In 2003, Schmeichel was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his shock on the english plot. In March 2004, he was named as one of the “ 125 greatest live footballers ”, at the FIFA 100 celebrations. His son, Kasper, is besides a master goalkeeper, presently playing for Premier League side Leicester City and the Danish national team .

career [edit ]

early on years [edit ]

Schmeichel was born in the Søborggård parish of Gladsaxe, Denmark, to Inger, a danish nurse, and Antoni “ Tolek ” Schmeichel, a polish sleep together musician. He held polish citizenship until 1970 when he, his father, and his three sisters became danish citizens. Schmeichel inherited his middle list – Bolesław – from his great-grandfather. [ 6 ] He spent his early years in the township of Buddinge, Copenhagen, and began his football career play for a team in the adjacent suburb of Høje-Gladsaxe. His first peer came on 7 August 1972 at the long time of 8. [ 7 ] After a two-and-a-half-year unbeaten hunt, Schmeichel was approached by BK Hero, a team from a few divisions above Høje-Gladsaxe and with one of the largest youth football schemes in Denmark. BK Hero merged with Gladsaxe BK in 1979 to form Gladsaxe-Hero BK, and Schmeichel was presented with the opportunity to play for the Zealand FA ‘s junior spokesperson team. [ 8 ] finally graduating to the Gladsaxe-Hero elder team, Schmeichel met his first mentor in Svend Aage Hansen, the first team coach at the club, and late to become his father-in-law. With Gladsaxe-Hero already relegated from the Danish Third Division with three games to go, Hansen promoted Schmeichel and six others from the youth team for a match against IF Skjold Birkerød. The team lost 1–0, but Schmeichel received mentions in local anesthetic newspapers for his personal performance. [ 9 ] At the end of the season, Hansen explained to Schmeichel his plan for the future, which involved Schmeichel spending two more seasons with Gladsaxe-Hero BK before moving on to Hvidovre, playing for the Danish national team, and finally having a successful career abroad. Schmeichel admits that he had received an crack to play for B 1903 ‘s young person team, but he turned it down as the club “ seemed a bit boring ”. [ 10 ] The following season Gladsaxe-Hero needed only to avoid kill to Stubbekøbing to prevent delegating from the danish National League. In the end, Schmeichel played one of the best games of his career and Gladsaxe-Hero won the peer. At the end of the game, Hansen ‘s daughter, Bente, ran onto the sales talk and hugged Schmeichel. The two ended up going out as a couple, and they finally got married. [ 11 ] Before becoming a master football player, Schmeichel had to work a numeral of jobs to make end meet. His first problem came in the dyeing department of a textile factory, but safety concerns led to his resignation. He then spent 12 months as a clean at an old people ‘s home, before taking up an office occupation with the World Wildlife Fund. He primitively worked in the organization ‘s shops, but three weeks after he joined, the storehouse coach left and Schmeichel was promoted to the position of sales coach. soon after, Schmeichel was called upon to do his four weeks of compulsory military service. however, this coincided with Hvidovre ‘s summer train camp in Portugal, which he was permitted to go on with the provision that he completed his military service the following month. however, the delicate organizational situation that arose between the WWF, the danish refutation department and Hvidovre prompted Schmeichel to give up working for the WWF. A job with his father-in-law ‘s floor firm came future, until he realised that his knees could not support his 15 rock ( 95 kilogram ) frame for eight hours a day, and he was offered a job with the advertising tauten owned by Hvidovre ‘s president, Niels Erik Madsen. This was to be his last job outside football, as he was offered a abridge with Brøndby the adopt spring. [ 12 ]

Professional career [edit ]

Brøndby ( 1987–1991 ) [edit ]

Despite the fifth best defense mechanism in the league, conceding 40 goals in 30 games, [ 13 ] Schmeichel and Hvidovre finished in 14th home and were relegated in 1985. After entirely a single season, the baseball club bounced right spinal column to the 1st Division, but Schmeichel was lost by Hvidovre to Danish runner-up Brøndby IF before the 1987 season. Winning the Danish league in his first year, he joined a cabaret which he helped turn into a success. He made his debut for the Danish national team in May 1987, under national coach Sepp Piontek, and was selected for the Euro 88 tournament, where he finally became Denmark ‘s starting goalkeeper, after initially serving as a back-up to Troels Rasmussen in Denmark ‘s opening 3–2 defeat to Spain ; Denmark lost both of their remaining two matches 2–0 to West Germany and Italy, however, and were eliminated in the first round of the competition. [ 14 ] In all, Schmeichel and Brøndby won four championships in five seasons. The orgasm of his Brøndby career would come in the european 1991 UEFA Cup competition, which saw Schmeichel as an important share of the team that reached the semi-finals, keeping seven clean sheets in the contest. [ 14 ] [ 15 ] The club was eliminated from the tournament following a 2–1 away get the better of to Roma with a last-minute goal by Rudi Völler. [ 14 ] Following the tournament, Schmeichel was voted 10th in “ The World ‘s Best goalkeeper 1991 ” pate by the IFFHS. [ 16 ]

manchester United ( 1991–1999 ) [edit ]

Schmeichel in July 1991, equitable days after signing for Manchester United Following his showings on the international fit, Manchester United signed Schmeichel on 6 August 1991 for £505,000, [ 17 ] a price described in 2000 by Manchester United director Alex Ferguson as the “ dicker of the hundred. ” [ 18 ] It was chiefly because at the time, Schmeichel was a relative unknown outside Denmark, particularly within the United squad members. Schmeichel played the majority of his career for United, eight years in sum. With United, Schmeichel won five FA Premier League titles, three FA Cups, one League Cup, and the UEFA Champions League. Manchester United finished as runner-up in Schmeichel ‘s first season ( besides winning the Football League Cup for the first time in the club ‘s history ), but it was on the international phase that Schmeichel enjoyed his biggest achiever that year. In the Danish national team under new national director Richard Møller Nielsen, Schmeichel was Denmark ‘s starting goalkeeper at the Euro 92 tournament which they won. [ 15 ] Although Denmark initially finished behind Yugoslavia in their reservation political campaign for the concluding tournament, the latter nation were banned from the rival, while Denmark replaced them in the finals. [ 14 ] Schmeichel made a string of crucial saves during the tournament, [ 15 ] keeping a clean plane in Denmark ‘s opening 0–0 draw against England, and producing critical stops against Eric Cantona and Jean-Pierre Papin in a 2–1 win over France to advance to the last four. [ 14 ] In the semi-finals against defending champions the Netherlands, following a 2–2 guide after extra time, he stopped a punishment kick from Marco van Basten – the entirely miss of the shoot-out – which enabled Denmark to advance to the final in a 5–4 gunfight victory. [ 19 ] Schmeichel besides made respective decisive saves in the final, and even held a cross with one hired hand, keeping a clean sheet in his nation ‘s 2–0 victory over Germany. [ 20 ] [ 21 ] For his performances throughout the temper, he was elected “ The World ‘s Best goalkeeper of 1992 ” by IFFHS. [ 22 ] In the 1992–93 temper, 22 clean sheets from Schmeichel helped United win the Premier League championship, the first time the club had won England ‘s peak trophy in 26 years. [ 14 ] [ 23 ] Schmeichel was once again named “ The World ‘s Best goalkeeper ” in 1993. In January 1994, Schmeichel fell out with Ferguson, as United had squandered a 3–0 head to draw 3–3 with Liverpool. The two had a row where Schmeichel “ said the most atrocious things ”, [ 24 ] and he was subsequently sacked by Ferguson. A few days late, Schmeichel made an improvise apology to the other players. Unknown to him, Ferguson was eavesdropping on this, and he let Schmeichel stay at Manchester United. [ 18 ] Schmeichel and United repeated the Premier League backing win at the end of the season, besides capturing the FA Cup. [ 23 ] United were denied a domestic ternary by losing the 1994 League Cup Final to Aston Villa, a game for which Schmeichel was suspended. [ 25 ] At external level he suffered disappointment as Denmark failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. [ 14 ] Schmeichel played for Denmark at Euro 96, hosted by England. The defending european Champions went out in the preliminary group degree, despite delivering results equivalent to the Euro 92 tournament in the beginning round. [ 14 ] [ 26 ] Following a meet against Arsenal in November 1996, Schmeichel was accused of racism by Arsenal hitter Ian Wright. During the game, Schmeichel and Wright had a number of controversies, and at the end of the game, the two players confronted each other on their way off the pitch. After the game, newsworthiness emerged of a patrol question into the incident, where it was alleged that Schmeichel had made a racist note. [ 27 ] After months of politicize by The FA and The PFA, who wanted a “ born-again ” Schmeichel as their posterboy of the “ Kick Racism out of Football ” campaign, no attest was found and the lawsuit was dropped. [ 28 ] Under fresh national director Bo Johansson, Schmeichel was a separate of the danish team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He was one of the leading members of the Danish campaign, which ended in a 3–2 quarter-final get the better of to Brazil. [ 14 ] Schmeichel ended his Manchester United career on the highest note, when Schmeichel and United won the Treble, the FA Premier League championship, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League, in the same season. In that year ‘s FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal, Schmeichel saved a penalty kick by Dennis Bergkamp in the last minutes of the game ( which Schmeichel revealed he was unaware of time ), to send the game into excess time. [ 14 ] In the absence of the suspend Roy Keane, he captained United in the UEFA Champions League concluding in May 1999. german opponents Bayern Munich had a 1–0 run until the dying minutes of the game, when United received a corner kick. Schmeichel ran into the attack attempting to cause confusion, and Teddy Sheringham scored the equalising goal. A few seconds late, Ole Gunnar Solskjær scored the 2–1 winner for United to ensure that Schmeichel ‘s United career ended on the highest potential notice. [ 29 ] In an unforgettable celebratory moment, Schmeichel was shown cartwheeling gleefully in his area after Solskjær ‘s winning finish. [ 23 ] With his passing, Manchester United had trouble finding a replacement for him, going through several high-profile goalkeepers including Mark Bosnich, Massimo Taibi, Fabien Barthez, Tim Howard and Roy Carroll before finally buying Edwin van five hundred Sar, who Sir Alex Ferguson considered the best goalkeeper to have played for the cabaret since Schmeichel. [ 30 ] Schmeichel played his 129th and last international against Slovenia in 2001. He kept a houseclean sheet in the match – something he had done, enormously, in 42 per penny of his appearances for Manchester United. Schmeichel will be remembered as far more than being the greatest goalkeeper in the history of De Rød-Hvide and the Red Devils. indeed, in a 2001 Reuters poll, he beat Lev Yashin and Gordon Banks to be named the finest custodian in football history. Despite being a goalkeeper, he would run into the approach on corner kicks if his team was behind. The sight of him going up for the corner was a great distraction to opposing defenders. He scored a goal in this fashion, for Man United, in a UEFA Cup match against Rotor Volgograd at Old Trafford in September 1995. He scored in the last minutes of the game to tie the equal 2–2, though United were eliminated from the tournament on the away goals principle. [ 31 ]

Sporting CP ( 1999–2001 ) [edit ]

Schmeichel decided to leave English football at the end of the 1998–99 season, as the gruelling 60-game season, which came with playing with a successful baseball club, was threatening to undermine his eminent standards at the age of 36. Seeking a slower pace of football, he moved to Sporting CP, where he penned a biennial sign. [ 32 ] In his first season with the club, he won the 1999–2000 Primeira Liga title, putting an conclusion to the team ‘s 18 years without a championship. At the end of the 1999–2000 season, Schmeichel and Sporting CP agreed to terminate his contract with a free transfer back to Manchester United verbally agreed. however, Sir Alex Ferguson called the deal off ascribable to turning an eye to the “ future ”, Fabien Barthez. The contract consequence with Sporting CP was cursorily resolved and he continued for a second season in Portugal. [ 33 ] He scored his merely goal for the Danish national team, a penalty kick in a 2–2 draw against Belgium, in a June 2000 warm-up match for Euro 2000. [ 31 ] He represented Denmark at Euro 2000, where the team was eliminated in the group stagecoach. He announced his retirement from the national team in February 2001, [ 34 ] and played his final examination match ( his 129th international appearance ) [ 14 ] two months later, captaining the side in a 3–0 friendly winnings over Slovenia at Copenhagen ‘s Parken Stadium ; he was substituted in the sixty-fifth moment to a standing ovation, replaced by long-time back-up Peter Kjær. [ 35 ] His moment class with Sporting was noteworthy in that it was the first meter in 14 years, since his Hvidovre days, that Schmeichel ‘s club had finished below moment place in the league. Schmeichel stated his wish to activate a contract option of a far class at Sporting in January 2001, [ 36 ] but finally decided to leave the golf club when his compress expired in June 2001. [ 37 ]

Manchester City ( 2002–2003 ) [edit ]

In 2002, Schmeichel completed a move to Manchester City on a free remove. [ 41 ] [ 42 ] He played merely one season, in 2002–03. Schmeichel ‘s record in the Manchester bowler hat is especial, in that he was never on the fall back slope. During his nine years with Manchester United, they were unbeaten against Manchester City, while in his single temper with City, they won at Maine Road and drew at Old Trafford. [ 43 ] [ 44 ]

retirement [edit ]

Schmeichel announced his retirement from football in April 2003. [ 45 ] [ 46 ] In December 1999, Schmeichel became the owner of his childhood club Hvidovre IF, [ 47 ] but withdrew from the cabaret in June 2002. [ citation needed ] Schmeichel worked as a initiate for the BBC after retiring, being a regular analyst on Match of the Day until 2005. He then began hosting live UEFA Champions League matches on danish television distribution channel TV3+, with Preben Elkjær and Brian Laudrup the studio apartment pundits. however, he still works occasionally as a initiate for the BBC. His popularity in Britain is possibly best measured by Chesney Brown on the Manchester -based soap opera Coronation Street, naming his erstwhile cad ( a Great Dane ) “ Schmeichel ”. He besides took contribution in Soccer Aid, and played for the Rest of the World team, who lost 2–1 after he was substituted at half-time. Schmeichel was a contestant on the 2006 series of the BBC ‘s popular Saturday night television receiver program Strictly Come Dancing, but was voted out by the populace on his 43rd birthday. He besides appeared on The Weakest Link in the UK, but he was voted off as the weakest liaison in the first round. On 31 August 2007, an investor group including Schmeichel announced their intention to invest DKK 250 million ( € 33.5 million ) in the football club Brøndby IF and make him sports director. This was announced in a press league in Danish at a hotel in Copenhagen. The extend fell through when Brøndby failed to accept the offer within the group ‘s deadline. [ 48 ] In February 2007, he became the host in a newly quiz, on TV3 named 1 mod 100 ( the Danish version of 1 vs. 100 ). In 2008, he became the master of ceremonies of the european interpretation of the Discovery Channel plan, Dirty Jobs. [ 49 ] In April 2018, Schmeichel appeared on state owned Russia Today, in a television receiver program called The Schmeichel Show. He received criticism from danish media for his appearance in it. [ 50 ]

style of dally [edit ]

Schmeichel is wide regarded by pundits, arsenic well as both former and current goalkeeping colleagues, as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, and besides as Denmark ‘s greatest goalkeeper always, [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 14 ] [ 23 ] [ 51 ] [ 52 ] [ 53 ] [ 54 ] [ 55 ] [ 56 ] [ 57 ] and has been described as a modern, talented, first, and complete goalkeeper, who besides stood out for the longevity of his career. [ 23 ] [ 51 ] [ 52 ] [ 53 ] [ 58 ] [ 59 ] [ 60 ] [ 61 ] A tall, firm and physically imposing goalkeeper, with a large frame and farseeing reach, [ 2 ] [ 23 ] [ 51 ] [ 53 ] [ 59 ] [ 60 ] vitamin a well as excellent reflexes, [ 61 ] he was besides highly athletic and agile for a player of his size, [ 14 ] [ 59 ] [ 61 ] [ 62 ] [ 63 ] [ 64 ] and was known for his ability to cover the finish with his hallmark “ star alternate “ saves, [ 23 ] a technique he reportedly developed from playing handball. [ 65 ] He was highly regarded for his goalkeeping technique, shot-stopping ability, and positioning between the posts, adenine well as his command of his area, handle, and ability to rush off his line both in one on one situations or when coming knocked out to claim crosses. [ 23 ] [ 58 ] [ 59 ] [ 54 ] [ 60 ] [ 62 ] [ 63 ] [ 64 ] [ 66 ] [ 67 ] A brave and cutthroat rival, he was a outspoken presence in finish, known for his strong character, brain, ability to organise his defense, and leadership from the back, ampere well as for his criticism of his defenders whenever they made mistakes. [ 3 ] [ 23 ] [ 59 ] [ 60 ] [ 62 ] [ 63 ] [ 64 ] He was besides effective at stopping penalties. [ 14 ] In summation to his goalkeeping ability, he was besides known for his capacity to read the game, american samoa well as his adeptness with the ball at his feet, and his distribution and ability to launch fleet counter-attacks with his long and accurate throws and kicks. unusually for a goalkeeper, he would frequently go up for corner kicks in the enemy ‘s area when his team were trailing, and scored 11 goals in his career. [ 23 ] [ 31 ] [ 51 ] [ 59 ] [ 62 ] [ 63 ] [ 64 ] [ 67 ] [ 68 ] [ excessive citations ]

career statistics [edit ]

club [edit ]

International [edit ]

Appearances and goals by national team and year[71][72]

National team
Year
Apps
Goals

Denmark

1987
5
0

1988
11
0

1989
12
0

1990
10
0

1991
7
0

1992
12
0

1993
9
0

1994
7
0

1995
8
0

1996
10
0

1997
6
0

1998
10
0

1999
11
0

2000
10
1

2001
1
0

Total
129
1

Score and result list Denmark’s goal tally first, score column indicates score after Schmeichel goal.

International goal scored by Peter Schmeichel

No.

Date

Venue

Opponent

Score

Result

Competition

1
3 June 2000
Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
Belgium
2–1
2–2
Friendly

Honours [edit ]

generator : [ 14 ] Brøndby
Manchester United
Sporting CP
Aston Villa
Denmark
Individual

Published works [edit ]

Schmeichel, Peter (2000) [1999]. Schmeichel: The Autobiography (2nd ed.). London: Virgin Publishing. ISBN 0-7535-0444-8.
Schmeichel, Peter (2021) [2021]. One: My Autobiography (1st ed.). London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 9781529354096.

See besides [edit ]

References [edit ]

Sporting positions

Preceded byMichael Laudrup
Denmark captain
1998–2001

Succeeded byJan Heintze