Former Leicester City and Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has announced his retirement from football after a serious shoulder injury ended his career.
Kasper Schmeichel says he is retiring from professional football at the age of 39 after doctors advised him he could no longer play at the highest level because of a severe shoulder injury.
The former Celtic goalkeeper had been out since February and confirmed that multiple medical specialists told him not to expect a return to top-flight football. Schmeichel first suffered the injury during Denmark’s Nations League match against Portugal in March 2025 before worsening it later in Celtic’s Europa League defeat to Stuttgart.
Schmeichel enjoyed one of the most successful careers for a modern Danish goalkeeper. He won the Premier League title with Leicester City in the historic 2015-16 season and later lifted the FA Cup in 2021. He also earned 120 caps for Denmark and featured at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
After spells with Nice, Anderlecht and Celtic, the goalkeeper said the decision to retire had effectively been made for him because of the injury. He added that while he hoped to leave football on the pitch, he was grateful for the experiences and relationships the game gave him.
Schmeichel leaves football as one of Denmark’s most respected goalkeepers and a key figure in Leicester City’s unforgettable Premier League triumph.