Peter Schmeichel has reflecting on his unwavering confidence upon joining Manchester United in 1991.
Despite the daunting prospect of moving to a team filled with esteemed players and coaches, Schmeichel was undeterred – recounting one moment from his first training session in start as you mean to go on fashion. He explained to Sky Bet: “I used to have this conveyer belt very much going through the same exercises then at the end of it you’ll have a game where you’re shooting against two goalkeepers and see who wins young against old.
“My first training session [at Manchester United], we go to Littleton Road, and I’m prepared.” The legendary Danish goalkeeper, who honed his skills at Gladsaxe-Hero, Hvidovre, and Brondby before his big move, went on to describe his exceptional fitness level at the time.
He added: “I’ve just come through possibly the hardest 18 months physically that I’ve ever been through in my life with our coach at Brondby. I was so fit, pre-season for me was two and a half months of absolutely the hardest work you can imagine and then no life just being tired, eating, sleeping, training.”
And Schmeichel’s determination was evident from the outset, as he recalled the moment he asserted himself among the seasoned players: “I was ready for the running and everything so Kiddo [Brian Kidd] goes, ‘Right, let’s have an easy start’ and he goes, ‘And Peter, you can go with Gary Walsh, you can go over there and do some half-volleys.
“I was like, ‘No, I’m in the box’, and Palli [Gary Pallister], Robbo [Bryan Robson] were like, ‘No way’ and eventually I just went and stood in the older box. It was a moment of embarrassment for everyone really because they were thinking, ‘Who is this guy? ‘. I already did my bit with the goalkeeping coach and I’m part of the team, I wanted to be part of the team.”
This episode marked his refusal to accept being anything less than a core member of Manchester United, reports the Manchester Evening News. During his illustrious tenure at United, Schmeichel made 388 appearances under Sir Alex Ferguson, kept an impressive tally of 180 clean sheets, and had a medal collection that boasted five Premier League titles, three FA Cups, four Charity Shields, one European Super Cup, a League Cup, and a Champions League.
Not only did he secure a legendary defensive record, but Schmeichel also scored a memorable goal against SC Rotor Volgograd in a 1995 UEFA Cup tie at Old Trafford. With the Red Devils trailing 2-1 following strikes from Vladimir Niedergaus and Oleg Veretennikov, Schmeichel’s late-game intervention a commanding header in the 88th minute clinched a crucial draw for Manchester United after Paul Scholes had earlier offered a ray of hope.
After leaving United in 1999, Schmeichel continued his career with Portuguese side Sporting CP before returning to English football with Aston Villa. He concluded his playing days at Manchester City in the 2002/03 season.