Of all the signings Celtic have made during the summer transfer window, Vijami Sinisalo is the one that most flies under the radar.
The truth is that Celtic supporters likely won’t see much of the 22-year-old in competitive action this season – if at all – with Kasper Schmeichel already providing such an imperious presence in the Bhoys goal.
The Finnish international has signed a five-year contract with the Scottish champions and very much has a long-term view when considering his career at his new club.
He’s more than happy to sit in support of Schmeichel right now, fully recognising that he is not quite ready to make the jump to becoming a starter at Celtic.
Viljami Sinisalo on his Celtic situation
Speaking to Finnish outlet MTV Uutiset, Sinisalo said: “It’s pretty much as simple as it looks. Kasper (Schmeichel) is still a top goalkeeper at 38, who signed a one-year contract, with an option for an extra year from the club I think, but the plan is very much that I will be Celtic’s future number one. I have to be ready for that.
“You have to be realistic. You don’t jump directly from League One to become Celtic’s starting goalkeeper, but I already know that there’ll be some responsibility this season. Certainly even more next season. If I’m Celtic’s number one keeper at the age of 24-25, I’ve succeeded in my plan.
I will say that when Celtic was a concrete option, I didn’t have to think twice. We are talking about one of the biggest football clubs in the world, and such an opportunity will not come up many times in a career, if at all. After the way those five years were described to me, it would have been foolish not to take it on.”
New Bhoys goalkeeper blown away by supporters
Sinisalo has been left overwhelmed by what he’s witnessed from Celtic fans already, most notably in the recent derby win over Rangers.
He continued: “It’s been a great start. And best of all, we won a big derby at the weekend. As I’ve said before, you don’t necessarily realise how massive a football club you’re talking about until you get there.
“It’s a ridiculous match. I’ve never experienced anything like it when You’ll Never Walk Alone was blaring before the game and a crowd of 60,000 people were singing it. The great thing about Celtic is the supporter culture and the default value that winning is all that matters.”
Sinisalo was not selected for a recent Scottish League Cup match but with another against Falkirk on the horizon and Scottish Cup action later in the season, there could be an opportunity for a competitive debut.
As it stands, he’s just drinking it all in and busily preparing for when his big opportunity arrives, which is a great attitude to have.
