MX23RW : Sunday, May 19 21:30:25| >> :120:10273:10273:

Brendan Rodgers heaps praise on Kasper Schmeichel ahead of 400th game

Saturday's game against Southampton will be a milestone for the Denmark international.

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has lavished praise on Kasper Schmeichel ahead of the goalkeeper's 400th appearance for the club.

The Denmark international is set to reach the landmark on Saturday night when the Foxes host Southampton in the Premier League.

Rodgers, who has previously described Schmeichel as world-class, hailed the mental strength of the 34-year-old in stepping out of his father's shadow – Manchester United great Peter Schmeichel – and believes his dedication to the game and will to win are what has taken him to the top and made him an inspiration to other players at the club.

"He was always going to be compared to his father, who was one of the world's best, and that was never going to be easy," said Rodgers.

"But I think it really shows you how tough he is mentally. He was probably just known as Peter Schmeichel's son but he has now earned all the praise for himself because of the career he's had.

"His devotion and mentality has really seen him excel at the highest level. He doesn't get tired every day of doing the right things and I can't speak highly enough of him.

"He's super professional and loves training and pushes himself to the limit everyday. He's a great inspiration to the young goalkeepers, and the other players at the club, and he has some old school values, which I really like.

"His spirit is very strong and he wants to win. He's very, very competitive. He wants to win every game in training and he takes that into matches.

"On top of all that, he's a really good guy. He's been a brilliant goalkeeper for me in my time here, and for other managers before me."

Leicester resume their Premier League campaign against a Southampton side who arrive at the King Power Stadium on the back of a victory over champions Liverpool.

Rodgers said: "This is a tough game for us, but it's also an opportunity for us.

"They are very well organised and want to play on the front foot and press the game and they work very hard. They have quality players and an excellent manager, and when you put all that together it makes them a very good team."

Rodgers has been dealt an injury blow with the news that Dennis Praet will be out for around three months after damaging a tendon in his hamstring.

However, top scorer Jamie Vardy and midfielder James Maddison return to the squad after missing the FA Cup win at Stoke.

Right-back Ricardo Pereira (groin), winger Cengiz Under (hamstring) and centre-back Caglar Soyuncu (groin) are also back in contention and could be involved in some capacity on Saturday night, although Rodgers said their returns would be managed "step by step".

ID:430690: cacheID:430690:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4735:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp pictured on February 24, 2019
Read Next:
Premier League gameweek 19 predictions including Liverpool vs. Manchester United
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CLeicester CityLeicester463141189414897
3Leeds UnitedLeeds462791081433890
4Southampton462691187632487
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom4621121370472375
6Norwich CityNorwich4621101579641573
7Hull City461913146860870
8Middlesbrough46209177162969
9Coventry CityCoventry4617131670591164
10Preston North EndPreston46189195667-1163
11Bristol City461711185351262
12Cardiff CityCardiff46195225370-1762
13Millwall461611194555-1059
14Swansea CitySwansea461512195965-657
15Watford461317166161056
16Sunderland46168225254-256
17Stoke CityStoke461511204960-1156
18Queens Park RangersQPR461511204758-1156
19Blackburn RoversBlackburn461411216074-1453
20Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds46158234468-2453
21Plymouth ArgylePlymouth461312215970-1151
RBirmingham CityBirmingham461311225065-1550
RHuddersfield TownHuddersfield46918194877-2945
RRotherham UnitedRotherham46512293789-5227


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!