Former Premier League winner Kasper Schmeichel has joked he is now "basically an Uber driver" after being forced to retire from football this summer. The 39-year-old goalkeeper ended his 20-year career following a shoulder injury.
Adjusting to retired life
Speaking at the EFC General Assembly in Copenhagen, Schmeichel was asked if he was finding ways to cope with boredom in retirement. He replied: "Beyond belief. I have got three kids. I am a full-time Uber driver, basically. It is a strange transition. It wasn't one I was ready for. Life throws these things at you, and I am adjusting."
He added: "I am doing some courses, some TV work and driving the kids around. Because I didn't retire on my own terms, I still have my competitive edge."
Ambition to manage
Schmeichel revealed he still hopes to stay in football, saying: "I would like to manage – to be a football manager or higher. The fire is still burning quite strongly. I don't really enjoy getting the [coaching] badges, but you have got to get them."
He continued: "When I am on the pitch - coaching or helping youngsters coming through - I do get enjoyment out of that. My whole life I have been used to an expectation to perform, and I thrived on it. Now from one day to the next, that's gone. That dopamine hit needs replacing."
Father Peter's perspective
His father, the famous goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, admitted the retirement had left Kasper in a difficult position: "It is a difficult period for Kasper now. One day you are somebody. You have an identity. And then the next day you have nothing. There's nothing there and you can't replace it with anything. I retired on my own, but with Kasper it was an injury. You don't know what the next bit of your life looks like."
Schmeichel is best remembered for his time at Leicester City, where he was part of the side that won the Premier League in 2015/16. The Danish shot-stopper also claimed the FA Cup with the Foxes before leaving in 2022.
