Kasper Schmeichel feels like a Celtic player.

The Danish internationalist is, of course, signed at Parkhead on a one-year deal.

He's now on the cusp of his competitive debut this Sunday against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.

He impressed during his time on the pitch against Manchester City and Chelsea on the club's transatlantic tour of the States, where he showcased snatches of the star who's risen steadily over the last 18 or so years in professional football.

But there's something about the veteran goalkeeper that feels fitting about his presence inside the walls of Celtic Park.

Perhaps it's his profile as an experienced player – one of the few who could possibly stand up to that of his immediate predecessor between the sticks, Joe Hart.

Maybe it's the fact that he's already familiar with Brendan Rodgers and the way the manager operates, the pair having previously worked together, and, crucially, accrued silverware side-by-side at Leicester City.

Or maybe it's his unwavering desire to win. As far as prerequisites go, they don't come more clear-cut than that in the green half of Glasgow.

"Winning," Schmeichel repeated while outlining Rodgers' observable vision for the season ahead. "That’s the only word I keep hearing. It’s about winning. That’s what it’s like to be at Celtic."

That vision was first shared, at least in part, by way of text message.

As a newly-made free agent having parted ways with Anderlecht at the conclusion of the Belgian Pro League 2023/24 campaign, Schmeichel jetted off on holiday with his family following his participation with his country in this summer's European Championships.

It was while away that the Irishman first reached out.

"I had absolutely no indication or inkling," Schmeichel explained. "It was a very nice surprise, it was very unexpected and I'd literally just gone on holiday with my family having just finished the Euros, and I was thinking: When is something going to happen?

"And then all of a sudden I got a text from Brendan and we agreed on it quite fast. He asked: Do you have time for a quick chat? After that it was a very easy decision."

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So easy, in fact, that internet rumblings around the 37-year-old joining Celtic had barely gained pace before he was through the door.

It's no secret that the club's business elsewhere in the transfer window has moved at a perceivably leisurely pace with regards to reinforcing, building from a position of strength, and identifying the 'quality' support the manager publicly called for over the course of last season.

Viljami Sinisalo, a 22-year-old goalkeeper who while signed from Aston Villa did not feature for the first-team, and who instead spent last season on loan at Exceter City, signed just before Schmeichel.

Paulo Bernardo was confirmed on a five-year deal on Thursday evening following a successful loan spell last term, and Adam Idah's return to Glasgow's east end on a more permanent basis seems increasingly likely as time marches on.

Still, none of this is Schmeichel's concern. His focus lies firmly on two things: filling the void left by Hart, while also carving his own path as he enters his twilight years at senior level. There's an element of serendipity about Schmeichel's arrival too. To call it an inevitably may be over-romanticising the situation, but it certainly feels like a sliding doors moment.

It was Hart who once recommended Schmeichel to then Falkirk manager John Hughes when starting out back in 2007, after all. Schmeichel arrived at Manchester City before Hart, and when out on loan – Schmeichel at Bury; Hart at Shrewsbury – they faced one another at opposite ends of the pitch.

"‘The City goalkeeping coach was in the stands during one of those games," Schmeichel recalled. "I thought he was watching me. Obviously he wasn’t. He was watching Joe. Then three or four months later, Joe bowled in the door."

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From there, the pair's friendship blossomed, as they combined on the training pitch and off it.

They pushed each other through drills and poured over footage of the greats in Oliver Khan, Iker Casillas and Guianluigi Buffon in a bid to learn new tricks and techniques that might secure either of them that elusive first-team start at the fledgling stage of their careers.

Away from football they played tennis because, surely, it would help improve their footwork. The jury remains out on that one, but what is more certain is that Hart's big break came first. Still, the Englishman was right there to support his friend when his time came.

Schmeichel added: "We did anything we could to be better. We pushed each other. Joe at the time was probably ahead of me in many respects. He was the one who got the debut in front of me. I think it was Sheffield United at home.

"We’ve always been very close friends. When I had my chance in the Premier League, Joe was nothing but supportive. We’ve followed each other. Our families are friends. We see each other outside of football. "I honestly didn’t expect him to retire before me being younger than me. It’s crazy how football works sometimes."

What is less inconceivable is Schmeichel's plan from hereon. Staring down the likes of Raheem Sterling and Erling Haaland is impressive no matter the occasion, but by his own admission, preseason encounters are inconsequential in the face of competitive football.

Celtic kick off the defence of their Scottish Premiership title this Sunday against Kilmarnock, where they'll unfurl the league flag on Matchday One for a third successive season.

With silverware in sight, not to mention the prospect of the new-format UEFA Champions League poking over the horizon, Schmeichel knows this is where the hard work begins all over again.

This time, of course, as a Celtic player.

"To come into a club this size that has won so many things, and also has a history of winning, not just an old history of winning but also a new one, that was really appealing to me," he said. "That was something that I hadn't tried before. To get the opportunity to be a part of that history is massive.

"With Joe [Hart], I saw the love he had for it and the love the fans had for him and if I could emulate just half of what he did then I'd be happy with that.

"You sometimes have to remove the emotion of the occasion and make sure you’re actually focused on the job in hand. We’ve had two really good games in the States that I was involved in, and another against Washington as well.

"But it’s a completely different thing when you go into competitive games so we have to make sure that we’re grounded, stay humble and hungry. When you win you can either go one of two ways; either happy and complacent or be inspired by it. And that’s what we need to keep doing."