KASPER SCHMEICHEL picked up a Premiership title and Premier Sports League Cup in his first season at Celtic.
The legendary keeper already has Premier League and FA Cup medals from his time at Leicester City while he has made 114 international appearances and is the current captain of Denmark.
But Schmeichel, who will be 39 in November, is showing no signs of slowing down in his relentless pursuit of silverware and is eager to get the new season underway.
The netminder, who joined the Hoops after his contract at Anderlecht expired last summer, was a seemless replacement for fans’ favourite Joe Hart, who retired after the 1-0 Scottish Cup Final triumph over Philippe Clement’s Ibrox side at Hampden on the iconic date of May 25.
BRING IT ON…Kasper Schmeichel prepares for another training sesion at Lennoxtown.
Looking ahead to the forthcoming campaign with St Mirren due at Parkhead on Sunday August 3 on Flag Day, a determined Schmeichel said: “I haven’t done everything. There’s a lot still to accomplish.
“I’ve never been the type of guy to think in restrictions or limitations or anything like that.
“At the moment, I’m just loving playing football. I love being part of a club where the culture is so driven by winning.
“That really motivates me every single day to get up to it, to make sure that we uphold those standards and keep striving for more.
“As long as I’m enjoying that and as long as that hunger or desire, whatever you want to call it, is there, then I’ll keep playing.
“I’m not the type of person to say that I’m going to do this or going to do that. I take everything as it comes. At this stage of my career, nothing’s ever guaranteed.
“It never is at any point, but one injury can end your career at this stage. I think, for me, it’s all about being here, contributing, enjoying every single minute. The only way I do that is by being part of a winning team.”
THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT…Kasper Schmeichel celebrates.
Schmeichel, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “When you’re at a club like Celtic, you’re not going to be here if your mindset isn’t about winning.
“We say it all the time. Anything but a win, that just won’t do for us. We have to have that mindset.
“It’s something that’s talked about every single day. Every single day, you turn up to training. It’s 100 per cent.
“You’re not coming in for a half-day or whatever. You’re coming in and you’re here to win.
“For me, personally, I’ve been in a few clubs. That’s the most enjoyable environment to be in.
“I don’t really know how to explain it. It would take a while. The mechanisms of it are obviously quite deep-rooted within the club.
“Anyone who walks in the door of this club knows exactly what’s expected of them.
THE CUP THAT CHEERS…Kasper Schmeichel with the Premier Sports League Cup, his first Celtic honour.
“If they don’t, they’ll find out very, very fast if, for example, you’re one or two down at home.
“It’s obviously driven by the manager and people such as Callum McGregor and James Forrest who have been here for a long time.”
Schmeichel made his first appearance of the pre-season in the first-half of the champions’ 2-0 win over Sporting Lisbon in the Algarve in midweek and produced two smart saves during his 45 minutes before Viljami Sinisalo took over the goals for the second period.
The towering shotstopper, who has one year of his Hoops contract to run, added: “I’m in the game to play. I want to play games. I love playing games.
“You’re a long time retired.”
