A serial winner, a Premier League champion and a player with invaluable experience. Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel sat down for his first interview, right after visiting the Lotto Park for the first time. Our new signing opens up about his reasons to join Anderlecht, his former and future Anderlecht-teammates and much more.
Why he’s coming to RSC Anderlecht:
"I spoke with Jesper and Brian, and I was very excited about what they're trying to do here. They're trying to put in place a winning team, a team that the fans can be proud of. A team that can bring Anderlecht back to all the glory that it has always had. Anderlecht is a massive club. I have former teammates from different places that have spent their childhood and had their football education here. They always talk so warmly about this place. So that was something I wanted to become part of."
About the former Anderlecht-players he played with:
"The teammates I most recently played with were Youri Tielemans and Dennis Praet at Leicester. Marcin Wasilewski, also, and obviously Vincent Kompany. I spent a year with him at Manchester City, quite a few years ago. They always talk so highly of the fans, the city and the culture of the club."
"Marcin has a big tattoo of Anderlecht on his leg. Often, we had games where Anderlecht fans would come to Leicester. You could always hear them, they were always loud, which was great. I think it shows the passion, the loyalty, the support both from the players and the fans, to support the people who did well for them. From the players that I've played with that have come through Anderlecht, you can always tell one thing: it's professionalism. All of them are consummate professionals, great attitude in training, giving everything on the pitch. Just good level-headed people as well. I think that's one thing that RSCA can be really proud of. It’s not just the players, but the people they produce. They all have kind of the same characteristics in terms of how they approach the game, and also how they approach life."
About his career so far:
"It's strange, but I don't really like to look back, because I can't really use it for anything. What counts, is the future, it's here, it's now, and it's what's next. It's the next trophy. That's what my career has always been about. It's been about winning. I've played in the fourth division in England and won that, played and won the championship, Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shields, all these things, but I don't really look back. It's what's next now, because there's nothing that replaces the feeling of standing with a trophy with your teammates. One day when I retire, in many years, that's the one feeling that I'll look back on. Those will be the things that you remember."
About his expectations for the future:
"I've played in many places now in my career and I feel I have a lot still to give. These last few months for me have been difficult but what it has done: it has shown me how much there's still left to contribute with and that's basically all I want to do. I want to contribute and I want to try and help wherever I can. Obviously being an older player it's my duty and my responsibility to help the younger generation. To be available, be open, to be there when needed. So for me, it's about bringing everything that I've experienced throughout my career and see how I can apply that here."
About who he will meet in the dressing room:
"Obviously, I know the Danish guys, and Jan [Vertonghen] as well. It's nice to join a club where you don't have to start completely from the beginning and to run into people who have been a part of your life already. Kasper [Dolberg] is one of these guys that I always hated training against. Because he has everything, he really does. I hope that that's one of the guys I can help while I'm here. Because when you're with the national team, you don't have that much time together."
"Obviously there's Thomas [Delaney], he's a great guy. I played with Thomas for many years. I know him very well personally, so he’s a guy I'm really looking forward to spending more time with. He's a leader. One of these guys that brings energy on and off the field. He's the type of guy that sets an example, you know. Anders [Dreyer] I know slightly less, but he's been in and around the national team. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone, not just the Danish guys. I'm really excited about that."
About the competition with our other goalkeepers:
"Well, every team has goalkeepers already, so it's mostly about respect. You know, we as goalkeepers, there's only very few of us that know what it's actually like to stand there. So everywhere I've ever been, there's always been a high level of respect and an understanding that there is only one that can play. That's the nature of goalkeeping. And it's about pushing each other in training, making each other better. I've always had great relationships with all the goalkeepers I've worked with. We spend a lot of time together, so it's really important that there's respect. And when we train, we train hard and afterwards we're teammates."
"I'm super excited and raring to go. I can't wait to put the shirt on, I can't wait to see the full stadium. I can't wait to get this adventure started and to see where it leads us."
