In 1992, the Danish team created a miracle to win the European Championship, and in 1999, Manchester United created the first treble in the history of the team and even the first treble in English football, and these two miraculous achievements are inseparable from a "milkman". Whether in the national team or the club, he uses his huge body and hands to contribute the necessary goals of the opponent again and again, although he is 1.91 meters tall, he does not lack agility, and the town guard goal not only saves the ball of the striker, he can also ruthlessly destroy the confidence of the opposing striker. The "milkman" came from Denmark on Hans Christian Andersen's pen, and his name was "Peter Schmeichel".
Born on November 18, 1963 in the Danish municipality of Glesacksø, Schmeichel was a Dane who had to work like us before becoming a professional footballer, a milkman, a sales manager, a textile mill worker, and a world wildlife fund. In addition to working part-time, Schmeichel also went to the local amateur football club in his hometown to play until 1984, when the 21-year-old Schmeichel made a turnaround, he joined the Danish professional football club Huidvo, although it was a relegation team, but also a big step in Schmeichel's career.
Schmeichel experienced the charm of the Danish First League in his first season with Huydvo, but the good times were short-lived, and at the end of the second season, they were relegated, in which Schmeichel scored a full 6 goals as a goalkeeper, but this did not help the club to relegate, and the third year Schmeichel had to spend time with Juydvo in the Danish Second Division.
1987 was a memorable year of Schmeichel's career when he joined Danish giants Brondby, where the famous Laudrup brothers came out. Schmeichel, 24, scored 23 goals for Brondby town in his first season and scored two goals to help his team win the league title. In the next four seasons, Schmeichel led the team to three league titles, and by this time he was already the top goalkeeper in Danish football.
"If you hadn't been to Manchester United, what would you have done?" He replied, "Go to training and then compete, and in your spare time you may go to deliver milk and do some other work." This is the answer he gave after Schmeichel joined Manchester United, after the reporter asked him questions. In 1991 Manchester United manager Ferguson spent £500,000 to bring the 28-year-old Schmeichel to the Theatre of Dreams – Old Trafford, whose arrival accelerated the birth of the Manchester United dynasty like a catalyst...
In schmeichel's first season with Manchester United (91/92), he conceded only 33 goals in 42 appearances, and his heroic performance helped Manchester United win the second place in the league, the sleeping Red Devils gradually woke up under Schmeichel's leadership, and before the new season, a "fairy tale" occurred in Europa football in 1992, and one of the protagonists of this fairy tale was Schmeichel.
That summer, the Danish team, led by Laudrup Jr. and Schmeichel, advanced from the group stage all the way to the semi-final against the Netherlands, facing the championship favourite - Tulip Army, the Danish team dragged into extra time, and finally Schmeichel saved Van Basten's penalty and brought the Danish team to the final. However, in the final, the Danish team faced the World Cup champion - Germany, in that game Schmeichel constantly contributed to the Danish city gate, and finally the clean sheet opponent helped Denmark win the World Cup 2-0, winning the only European Championship in the history of the team, realizing the famous "Danish fairy tale", Schmeichel and the Danish team stood on the top of Europe, when he looked at the championship trophy with a happy glow in his eyes, fans around the world knew and remembered the Dane...
Schmeichel led Denmark to the top of Europe in the national team, returned to Manchester United and led the Red Devils to win the league title in the first year of the Premier League for 26 years, and the 30-year-old Dane led Manchester United to stand on the top of England again, thus opening the Premier League era belonging to Manchester United, when Schmeichel was already the world's number one goalkeeper.
In the summer of 1998, 35-year-old Danish goalkeeper Schmeichel made his first world cup appearance, and yes, as a world-class goalkeeper, he participated in the World Cup for the first time. In Denmark's 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia in their first group match, Schmeichel made his World Cup debut. Although it was his first time, the Danish team led by Schmeichel gave world football a surprise. The Danish fairy tale soared from the group stage to the top 8, but unfortunately, in the quarterfinals, facing the Brazilian team that was in the sky at the time, the Danish fairy tale was broken. This is the best result of the Danish team in the World Cup so far, and it is also the last song of this dark horse that has created a fairy tale.
The summer that ended with the Summer of France, the new Premier League season (98/99) was Danish-Schmeichel's last season for Manchester United. Schmeichel remained an integral member of the Red Devils that season, with his goal guarding the floor at Old Trafford.
In the 98/99 season, Schmeichel not only helped Manchester United win the league title, but he also led Manchester United to the final and completed the "double" after saving Bergkamp's penalty in the FA Cup semi-final. Not only that, Schmeichel wore the captain's armband in the last match for Manchester United and led Manchester United to reverse Bayern to win the second Champions League title in team history, and the 36-year-old Schmeichel won the first Champions League title of his career, which became the first club in the history of English football to win the "treble".
After Schmeichel left Manchester United, he moved to three clubs, Sporting Lisbon, Aston Villa and Manchester City, and the 40-year-old Schmeichel announced his retirement in April 2003, ending a generation of world goalkeepers...
Today, the Danish goalkeeper has been retired for many years, if the 92 golden generation rose rapidly to sweep The United Kingdom, but in the key game, Schmeichel is the real key figure of Manchester United, without him to guard the goal, it is estimated that Manchester United will not have a "treble". The Danish team without Schmeichel may not have achieved the "Danish fairy tale". Schmeichel has done a lot of work for Schmeichel, even as a milkman, but these have long been a thing of the past, and he is already the Danish goalkeeper in the hearts of Manchester United fans forever. Whenever we think of the pictures of him flying to save, we remember that these pictures are still lingering in our minds for a long time...
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