Ex-Premier League winner admits career could be over after serious injury blow

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Kasper Schmeichel says he may have played his final game as a professional footballer as he awaits the first of two shoulder operations which could sideline him for a year.

The Celtic goalkeeper, 39, has not played since February 22 and will go under the knife later this month. He was working as a pundit covering Tuesday night's Champions League games for CBS Sports Golazo alongside his father, Peter Schmeichel , when he revealed the extent of his shoulder issues.

And Schmeichel admits that the rehabilitation period after said surgeries could keep him sidelined for up to 12 months, casting doubt on the chances of him playing again.

"I could've potentially played my last football game," Schmeichel told CBS Sports Golazo.

"I've been a footballer since the day I was born. It's devastating. It's very, very hard to wrap my head around at the moment.

"I got the message [on Tuesday] that it could potentially be the end of my career. By the time I could get back fit I could be plus 40.

"I'm going to give it everything I can to see if I can get back. It would be probably one of the greatest feats of my career if I could ever get back from an injury like this. I'm going to fight, I'm going to try everything I can. I'm going to do the rehab."

Schmeichel, a former Premier League title and FA Cup winner with Leicester City , joined Celtic back in the summer of 2024.

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He added: "I'm going to need two surgeries now to fix my shoulder. I've torn the bicep, torn the rotator cuff, dislocated the shoulder, torn the labrum. Everything's gone.

"To maybe put it into terms you can understand, it's like an outfielder doing his ACL and their Achilles at the same time. It's looking like 10-12 months of rehab.

" Football means everything to me. It's been my whole life, it's been my whole identity."

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