Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel reunited with top Northern Irish manager Brendan Rodgers at Celtic Park just two years after selling him to Nice and ending his decade-long career at Leicester City. Kasper completed his transfer to Glasgow after signing a one-year contract at Celtic Park, where he took over from the retired Joe Hart as their number one. The deal saw Schmeichel and Rodgers back together again, but there was no bad blood before ending his run at the King Power Stadium.
Following Schmeichel’s departure from Celtic, Leicester City signed Danish youngster Mads Hermansen from Brondby to take his place. The 23-year-old joined Leicester on a five-year deal, joining compatriot Daniel Iversen as Leicester returned to the English Premier League. But what does that mean for Leicester’s future in the absence of their star goalkeeper? Here’s an in-depth view of what Leicester fans can expect.
Can Mads Hermansen replicate Schmeichel’s performance?
Former Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel recorded an impressive run with Leicester for 11 seasons, making 479 appearances for the team. The 37-year-old helped Leicester win the English Premier League, Community Shield, FA Cup, and two top-five finishes. The veteran goalkeeper is known for being competitive a danish sport star and has performed at the highest level including the Euro Championship. That means that Hermansen will have huge shoes to fill as the team needs a reliable goalkeeper who can play at Schmeichel’s level.
Meanwhile, Hermansen has constantly dismissed any focus on trying to emulate fellow countryman Kasper Schmeichel and has vowed to establish his legacy. Speaking on the issue, the 23-year-old revealed that every goalkeeper in Denmark admires Kasper, but he doesn’t want to compare his performance with the veteran goalkeeper. However, Mads has proven he can yield positive results as he consistently remained strong throughout Leicester’s EFL championship campaign and helped them secure a place in the Premier League.
But can Hermansen aid Leicester to a Premier League title this season against all odds?
At 1500/1 odds on leading betting sites at the WinCoparator football odds comparison website, Leicester is considered a longshot to bag their second EPL title. Regardless of their odds, their fans are still optimistic that the Foxes can re-stabilize and record a surprise run to the title as they did in the 2015/2016 season. However, Hermansen will remain among the key performers in Leicester’s arsenal in the 2024/2025 premier league season after recording a stellar performance in the championship.
Hermansen can push into advanced positions when his teammates push high, acting as a sweeper with a high-class distribution. While the Danish keeper is playing for a team that wants to play defensively to avoid relegation in the 2024/2025 EPL season, he isn’t afraid to try accurate long passes to the midfield or to the flanks.
Mads ranked among the top three Championship goalkeepers in the 2023/2024 season for the highest distance with progressive passing. This performance quality will be essential to the way the Foxes build attacks in their 2024/2025 premier league campaign, hoping to spring a surprising comeback despite ranking among the favorites for relegation.
Mads has proven to be a strong shot-stopper
At only 23 years old, Hermansen is a highly-rated goalkeeper and a great shot-stopper who recorded an impressive 73.4% save success rate in the 2023/2024 season, ranking third in the league. This aspect of his performance will surely be tested more frequently in the Premier League, where the Foxes are expected to be less dominant given their recent financial woes.
After producing several fantastic saves during his debut campaign for the Foxes, Hermansen fully has the support of his teammates. Hermansen prevented the most additional goals last season, managing to prevent 6.7 extra goals from making it through the net. By so doing, the Danish star has proven to be a difference-maker in Leicester’s squad.
Leicester odds and probability of being relegated in the 2024/2025 season
As mentioned earlier, Leicester is more likely to face relegation in the 2024/2025 EPL season than put a strong challenge for a place in European football. For those hoping they will whip another miracle title run, their implied probability stands at 0.1%. However, the implied probability of the Foxes going down stands at 71.4%, with their relegation odds standing at 8/15.
The Foxes were quite busy in the transfer market, bringing in players like Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Caleb Okoli, and Issahaku Fatawu. They also traded Dewsbury-Hall to Chelsea, with Dennis Praet, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Marc Albrighton leaving the Foxes after the end of their respective contracts. Fortunately, they still have the services of Golden Boot contender Jamie Vardy, although he only scored three goals during his last EPL appearance.
Vardy has proven that he hasn’t lost any of his goal-scoring capabilities as he recorded 18 goals after 35 Championship games last season, shaping Leicester’s return to the premier league. The veteran forward remains the most potent and natural punisher that the Foxes have in their bid to stay out of relegation.
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