Former Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel announced his retirement on Wednesday owing to a significant shoulder injury.
The 39-year-old Dane, son of legendary goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, injured his shoulder during a Europa League match for Celtic against Stuttgart in February.
The following month the goalkeeper underwent surgery to try to save his career, but to no avail.
“When my contract with Celtic expires in June, I will end my career as a professional footballer,” Schmeichel told Danish television channel TV2.
“It’s a decision that has been taken for me after consulting several surgeons, who are specialists with relation to my shoulder, who told me that I shouldn’t expect to come back and play at the highest level.
“It’s not fun, it’s absolutely not the way I would have wanted to end my career, but on the other hand, everything comes to an end.”
Schmeichel has had a great career, representing his country 120 times and ranking fourth on the all-time appearance list for Danish internationals, nine caps and two places behind his father.
Schmeichel began his career in the youth ranks at Manchester City before spending the majority of his career at Leicester, where he was a member of the club that astonished the football world by winning the Premier League in 2016.
He also won the FA Cup with Leicester five years later, and after a brief stint at French club Nice, he finished his career in Scotland, winning the league in consecutive seasons with Celtic.
His father was widely considered one of the best goalkeepers of all time, helping Denmark win the Euros in 1992.
