Kasper Schmeichel Biography: Net Worth, Age, Career, Records, Family, Achievements!
Kasper Schmeichel is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Leicester City and the Denmark national team. He is the son of former Manchester United and Danish international goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel.
Schmeichel began his career with Manchester City in 2002 before moving to a series of clubs in the lower tiers of English football.
He joined Leicester City in 2011 and was instrumental in their shock Premier League title win in 2015–16. Schmeichel has made over 350 appearances for Leicester City and has kept over 100 clean sheets.
At international level, Schmeichel has earned over 60 caps for Denmark since his debut in 2013.
He was part of the Danish squad that reached the round of 16 at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and semi-finals of Euro 2020. He is known for his shot-stopping abilities, command of the area and distribution from the back.
Kasper Schmeichel Net Worth
According to reports, Kasper Schmeichel’s net worth is estimated to be around £14 million as of 2022. The majority of his wealth comes from his lucrative playing contracts and endorsement deals.
As one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League, Schmeichel earns a reported £130,000 per week in wages from Leicester City. He signed a new long-term contract with the club in 2020 worth around £6.4 million per year. Schmeichel also has sponsorship deals with brands like Adidas, Hublot and Beats by Dre.
In addition to his club salary and endorsements, Schmeichel has earned money from his shares of Leicester City’s historic Premier League winning bonus pot in 2016. His transfer fees over the years, lucrative bonuses and appearance fees from his international career have also contributed to his current net worth.
Kasper Schmeichel Age and Early Life
Kasper Peter Schmeichel was born on 5 November 1986 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is currently 36 years old.
Schmeichel is the son of legendary Manchester United and Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel. He spent much of his early life moving around Europe due to his father’s football career, living in Denmark, Portugal, France, Spain and England.
Schmeichel began his own football journey playing for Danish club Hvidovre as a youngster. He then joined Manchester City’s academy in 2002 at the age of 16 after his father became Man City’s goalkeeping coach.
However, Schmeichel didn’t enjoy much success at Man City and was loaned out to Darlington, Bury and Falkirk between 2003-2006. He made his senior Danish national team debut in a friendly against Portugal in 2006 while still a Man City player.
Kasper Schmeichel Career
After failing to break into Manchester City’s first team, Schmeichel was sold to Welsh club Cardiff City in 2007. He spent two seasons as Cardiff’s number one, making over 70 appearances and helping them reach the 2008 FA Cup final against Portsmouth.
In 2009, Schmeichel moved to Championship side Notts County on a free transfer. However, his time with Notts was short after just a few months when the club ran into financial trouble.
He signed for League Two club Leeds United in 2010 and his performances helped them reach the Championship playoffs in his first season. Schmeichel spent just one season with Leeds before joining Leicester City in June 2011.
Leicester City
The move to Leicester City in 2011 proved to be the turning point in Schmeichel’s career. He was instrumental in Leicester’s promotion to the Premier League in 2014 under manager Nigel Pearson.
In the 2015-16 shock Premier League winning season, Schmeichel played every minute for Leicester and kept 15 clean sheets, conceding just 36 goals in 38 games. He made crucial saves and marshalling of the defense that allowed Leicester to lift the Premier League trophy despite being 5000/1 underdogs at the start of the season.
Schmeichel has maintained his position as Leicester City’s undisputed number one over the past decade. His shot-stopping, leadership, distribution and ability to organize the defense have been pivotal to Leicester City’s recent success.
Some of Schmeichel’s highlights at Leicester include:
- 350+ appearances for the club
- Over 100 clean sheets
- Premier League title winner in 2016
- FA Cup winner in 2021
- Captained Leicester City over 100 times
- Voted Leicester Player of the Year 4 times
In 2022, Schmeichel helped Leicester City capture their first-ever FA Cup after beating Chelsea 1-0 in the final at Wembley. He made several key saves throughout the FA Cup run and captained the team during the final.
International Career
Schmeichel chose to represent Denmark at international level despite being eligible for both Portugal and England. He worked his way up through the Danish youth teams before making his senior debut in a 3–1 friendly win over Portugal in October 2006.
However, Schmeichel had to wait several years to establish himself as Denmark’s first-choice goalkeeper. He was mainly backup to Thomas Sørensen until 2013 when he became the regular starter under manager Morten Olsen.
Since 2013, Schmeichel has been an integral part of the Danish national team. Some highlights of his international career include:
- 64 caps for Denmark since his debut in 2013
- Captain of the national team
- First choice keeper at the 2018 FIFA World Cup where Denmark reached the round of 16
- Key player at UEFA Euro 2020 where Denmark reached the semi-finals
- Won the ‘Save of the Tournament’ award at Euro 2020 for his stoppage time penalty save against England in the semis
Schmeichel is known for his vocal leadership from the back, ability to organize the defense and make decisive saves at important moments for Denmark. He continues to be Denmark’s first-choice keeper heading into the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Kasper Schmeichel Records and Achievements
Some of Kasper Schmeichel’s major records and achievements during his career so far include:
- Premier League title winner with Leicester City in 2016
- FA Cup winner with Leicester City in 2021
- Voted Leicester City Player of the Season 4 times
- Danish Footballer of the Year in 2016
- Over 350 appearances for Leicester City
- Over 100 clean sheets for Leicester City
- 64 caps for the Denmark national team since 2013
- Over 600 club career appearances
- Save of the Tournament at Euro 2020 against England
- 11 consecutive penalty saves for club and country between 2016-2020
- One of just six goalkeepers to captain their club in an FA Cup final
Kasper Schmeichel Personal Life
Kasper Schmeichel comes from a family of goalkeepers. His father is Peter Schmeichel, widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time who played for Manchester United and Denmark. His grandfather was also a goalkeeper who played for Polish club ŁKS Łódź.
Schmeichel holds both British and Danish passports. He was born in Denmark but spent much of his childhood in England and Portugal due to his father’s career.
Schmeichel is married to Stine Gyldenbrand, and the couple has two children together – a son named Max and a daughter named Isabella. They currently live together in Leicester, England.
Off the pitch, Schmeichel has interests in music and fast cars. He enjoys listening to rock music and plays the drums. Schmeichel also takes part in celebrity car events and races in his spare time.
Unlike his father, Kasper Schmeichel is known for being soft-spoken and introverted. He prefers to lead by example on the pitch and let his performances speak for themselves.
Kasper Schmeichel Quotes
“To work with my dad was absolutely incredible. I learned so much from him and I really appreciate that time.” – on working with his father Peter Schmeichel at Manchester City
“I just wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps. Luckily I’ve been able to create my own name now.” – on living up to his family name
“I feel privileged to be part of such a great team and have a manager who believes in me.” – on winning the Premier League with Leicester City
“We proved that the team beats individuals. We worked harder than anyone.” – on Leicester City’s Premier League title win
“Once you win one trophy, you get the feeling you can win it again and again.” – after winning the FA Cup with Leicester in 2021