Schmeichel: Nice To Get Back Out There

- Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel reflects on his time out through injury ahead of the visit of Everton

- The Dane returned to action for the 2-2 draw against Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium last week

- Schmeichel admits it was tough to watch City continue without him but is delighted to be back

- The Foxes host Everton at King Power Stadium on Monday before also welcoming West Ham United

Out since the UEFA Champions League stalemate against FC Copenhagen on 2 November with a hand injury, the Dane returned to make a string of vital interventions against Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium last weekend. 

Looking ahead to the visit of Ronald Koeman’s side, Schmeichel confessed that it has been a difficult period for him but insisted he is ready to dive back into action over a hectic Christmas and New Year fixture schedule. 

Speaking to LCFC TV on Friday, Schmeichel said: “I feel good. It’s been a long time coming so it’s just nice to get back out there. It’s tough, I’m not good at sitting out so it was a tough period. 

“The medical staff had their work cut out with me because I’m a very difficult guy to manage, so a lot of credit goes to them.   

“I was training sometimes outfield. It was a good way to stay fit and stay involved with the lads. It’s something that I’ve done before. It’s important for a goalkeeper to be good with his feet and it was also good exercise for me. 

“It also gives me a good understanding of what it’s like to play each position around the pitch. It gives me a bit of insight of how to give different types of balls to different positions and how they want to receive the ball.”   

Reflecting on the 2-2 draw at Stoke, which saw City claw back a two-goal deficit with 10 men, Schmeichel says the indomitable spirit in the camp was behind their remarkable comeback in Staffordshire. 

“Interesting is the right word,” he added. “It was a tough game but we showed what we’re about, character-wise, to come from 2-0 down away from home with 10 men takes a lot of courage and skill. 

“It was good to see that determination. We always believed it. If you don’t believe it, you’re never going to do it, so the most important thing was belief. 

“If we went out on that pitch in the second half and didn’t believe we were going to get something then we were never going to do it. In the dressing room, we talked about how we’d been in that position at Stoke last season, 2-0 down, granted we had 11 men. 

“We felt that if we got one goal, the whole stadium including the Stoke players would get nervy. We thought we might just get a second chance and luckily Daniel [Amartey] popped up and it went in.   

“To be honest, it was justified because I thought we played well. Even before the sending off we played well. I personally think if the game had gone on another five minutes, we might just have nicked it. It was a great feeling.”