Peter Schmeichel facts for kids
Schmeichel in 2012
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Peter Bolesław Schmeichel | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 18 November 1963 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Gladsaxe, Denmark | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1972–1975 | Høje-Gladsaxe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1975–1979 | Hero | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1979–1981 | Gladsaxe-Hero | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1984 | Gladsaxe-Hero | 46 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1987 | Hvidovre | 78 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1991 | Brøndby | 119 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1999 | Manchester United | 292 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Sporting CP | 55 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Aston Villa | 29 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Manchester City | 29 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 648 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–2001 | Denmark | 129 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel (born 18 November 1963) is a famous Danish former professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper. He is known as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.
Schmeichel played for English club Manchester United for eight seasons. During this time, he won 15 trophies. These included five Premier League titles and three FA Cups. He also led the team as captain to win the 1999 UEFA Champions League final. This win completed the historic Treble (winning three major trophies in one season).
He also played for the Denmark national team. With Denmark, he won the UEFA European Championship in 1992. He was named the world's best goalkeeper in 1992 and 1993. Schmeichel was very tall at 1.93 meters (6 feet 4 inches). He was known for his powerful presence in goal. He even scored 11 goals during his career, which is very unusual for a goalkeeper. One of these goals was for his national team. He played 129 games for Denmark between 1987 and 2001. He was the most-capped player for Denmark for many years.
Besides Euro 92, he played for Denmark in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He also played in three other European Championship tournaments. He was captain of the national team in 30 matches. His career lasted from 1981 to 2003. He won 24 trophies in total. In 2003, Schmeichel was added to the English Football Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was named one of the "125 greatest living footballers" by FIFA. Peter's son, Kasper, is also a professional goalkeeper. He plays for Scottish club Celtic and the Danish national team.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Football
Peter Schmeichel was born in Gladsaxe, Denmark. His mother was Danish, and his father was a Polish jazz musician. He became a Danish citizen in November 1971.
Peter started playing football at a young age. His first match was on 7 August 1972, when he was 8 years old. He played for a team in Høje-Gladsaxe. After a great start, he joined BK Hero, a bigger youth team. In 1979, BK Hero merged with Gladsaxe BK. This created Gladsaxe-Hero BK.
Before becoming a full-time footballer, Peter worked different jobs. He worked in a textile factory and as a cleaner. He also worked for the World Wildlife Fund. These experiences helped him prepare for his professional career.
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out: Gladsaxe-Hero and Hvidovre
Peter Schmeichel moved up to the senior team at Gladsaxe-Hero. There, he met his first coach, Svend Aage Hansen. Hansen believed in Peter's talent. He predicted Peter would play for the national team and have a successful career abroad.
After Gladsaxe-Hero, Peter joined Hvidovre. He even scored six goals for them. In 1985, Hvidovre was relegated from the top division. But they quickly returned the next season.
Success with Brøndby
In 1987, Schmeichel joined Brøndby. This club had finished second the season before. With Peter as their goalkeeper, Brøndby won the Danish 1st Division four times in five seasons.
A big moment for him at Brøndby was in the 1990–91 UEFA Cup. He helped the team reach the semi-finals. They kept seven clean sheets (no goals conceded) in the competition. Brøndby was eventually knocked out by Roma.
Becoming a Legend at Manchester United
On 6 August 1991, Manchester United signed Peter Schmeichel. The transfer fee was £505,000. Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson later called it the "bargain of the century."
In his first season, United finished second in the league. They also won the Football League Cup for the first time. Peter's great performances earned him the "World's Best Goalkeeper" award in 1992.
In the 1992–93 season, Peter kept 22 clean sheets. This helped United win the Premier League championship. It was the club's first top league title in 26 years. He was again named "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1993.
Schmeichel and United won the Premier League again the next season. They also won the FA Cup. This meant they won both the league and cup.
Peter ended his Manchester United career in an amazing way. The club won the Treble in 1999. This included the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League. In the FA Cup semi-final, Peter saved a penalty kick from Dennis Bergkamp. This sent the game into extra time.
In the Champions League final, Peter was captain. United was losing 1–0 to Bayern Munich in the final minutes. Peter ran into the opponent's penalty area for a corner kick. This caused confusion, and Teddy Sheringham scored to make it 1–1. Moments later, Ole Gunnar Solskjær scored the winning goal. Peter celebrated with a joyful cartwheel. This win meant he left United with a Champions League trophy.
After Peter left, Manchester United found it hard to replace him. They tried several goalkeepers before signing Edwin van der Sar. Sir Alex Ferguson considered Van der Sar the best goalkeeper since Schmeichel.
Moving to Sporting CP
After leaving Manchester United in 1999, Peter wanted a slower pace of football. He moved to Sporting CP in Lisbon, Portugal. He signed a two-year contract. In his first season, he helped Sporting win the 1999–2000 Primeira Liga title. This ended the team's 18-year wait for a championship.
Return to England: Aston Villa and Manchester City
In July 2001, Schmeichel returned to England. He joined Aston Villa. On 20 October 2001, he made history. He became the first goalkeeper to score a Premier League goal. He scored in a 3–2 defeat against Everton.
In 2002, Schmeichel moved to Manchester City. This was a surprise move because of his history with Manchester United. During his one season with City, they did not lose to Manchester United in the Manchester derby. This meant Peter was never on the losing side in a Manchester derby throughout his career.
Peter Schmeichel announced his retirement from football in April 2003.
International Career with Denmark
Peter Schmeichel played his first game for the Denmark national team in May 1987. He became Denmark's main goalkeeper at UEFA Euro 1988.
Euro 1992 Victory
Schmeichel was Denmark's starting goalkeeper at UEFA Euro 1992. Denmark had not originally qualified for the tournament. However, they replaced Yugoslavia, who were banned. Peter made many important saves during the tournament. He kept a clean sheet in the opening 0–0 draw against England. He also made key saves against France.
In the semi-finals against the Netherlands, the game ended 2–2 after extra time. In the penalty shootout, Peter saved a penalty from Marco van Basten. This meant Denmark won 5–4 and reached the final. In the final, Peter made several big saves. He helped Denmark win 2–0 against Germany, keeping another clean sheet. This was a huge victory for Denmark.
Later International Appearances
Denmark did not qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Schmeichel played for Denmark at UEFA Euro 1996. He was also part of the Danish team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Denmark reached the quarter-finals but lost 3–2 to Brazil.
In June 2000, he scored his only goal for Denmark. It was a penalty kick in a 2–2 draw against Belgium. He played for Denmark at Euro 2000, where the team was eliminated in the group stage.
Peter announced his retirement from the national team in February 2001. He played his last game, his 129th international appearance, two months later. He captained the team in a 3–0 friendly win against Slovenia. He left the field to a standing ovation.
Playing Style and Legacy
Peter Schmeichel is seen as one of the greatest goalkeepers ever. He was tall, strong, and very athletic. He was known for his "star jump" saves. This technique helped him cover a lot of the goal. He was also excellent at stopping shots and positioning himself.
He was a brave and competitive player. He was known for being a strong leader in goal. He would organize his defence and communicate loudly. He was also good at stopping penalties. Peter was skilled with the ball at his feet. He could start quick counter-attacks with his long and accurate throws and kicks.
Unusually for a goalkeeper, he often went forward for corner kicks when his team was losing. He scored 11 goals in his career. One famous example was in a UEFA Cup match in 1995. He scored in the last minutes to tie the game for Manchester United.
Life After Football
After retiring, Peter Schmeichel worked as a football expert for the BBC. He was a regular analyst on Match of the Day until 2005. He also hosted UEFA Champions League matches on Danish television. He still sometimes works as a pundit for the BBC and CBS Sports.
He has also appeared on TV shows. He was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2006. He also hosted the European version of the Dirty Jobs show on Discovery Channel.
Peter Schmeichel was the owner of his childhood club, Hvidovre IF, for a few years. He later tried to invest in Brøndby IF and become their sports director, but the deal did not happen.
Personal Life
Peter Schmeichel has two children with his former wife, Bente Schmeichel. His son, Kasper Schmeichel, is also a professional goalkeeper. Peter enjoys playing the piano as a hobby.
Honours
Brøndby
- Danish 1st Division/Danish Superliga: 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991
- Danish Cup: 1988–89
Manchester United
- Premier League: 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99
- FA Cup: 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99
- Football League Cup: 1991–92
- FA Charity Shield: 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997
- UEFA Champions League: 1998–99
- European Super Cup: 1991
Sporting CP
- Primeira Liga: 1999–2000
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2000
Aston Villa
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2001
Denmark
Individual
- Det Gyldne Bur (Goalkeeper of the Year in the Danish League): 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992
- Danish Football Player of the Year: 1990, 1993, 1999
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1992
- UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year: 1992, 1993, 1998
- IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper: 1992, 1993
- PFA Team of the Year: 1992–93 Premier League
- Premier League Player of the Season: 1995–96
- UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year: 1997–98
- UEFA Champions League 10 Seasons Dream Team (1992 to 2002): 2002
- English Football Hall of Fame: 2003
- PFA England League Team of the Century (1907 to 2007): 2007
- Most clean sheets in the Premier League: 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98
- Premier League Hall of Fame: 2022
- Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2001–02):
- Overseas and overall Team of the Decade
- Save of the Decade (vs. Newcastle, 21 December 1997)
- Premier League 20 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2011–12):
- Fantasy Teams of the 20 Seasons public and panel choice
- FIFA 100
- Danish Football Hall of Fame
- World Soccer: The 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time
- Football League 100 Legends
Orders
- Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE): 2001
Images for kids
-
Schmeichel in 2012
-
Schmeichel in July 1991, shortly after joining Manchester United
See also
In Spanish: Peter Schmeichel para niños
