Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo has warned any incoming rival that the gloves are his to lose as he continues to impress between the sticks.
The Finland international kept his third clean sheet in four games as Celtic thrashed LASK 3-0 on Wednesday night, putting the Hoops on the brink of the Champions League league phase draw. Barring a spectacular collapse in the return leg, Celtic will be in the hat for Thursday's draw.
Sinisalo unfazed by transfer speculation
Despite his fine form, Sinisalo is aware he could soon face a battle to keep his No.1 jersey. Manager Martin O'Neill has made no secret of his desire to sign a replacement for the retired Kasper Schmeichel, with Ross Doohan currently the only other senior goalkeeper at the club. Blackburn Rovers shot-stopper Balazs Toth is believed to be on Celtic's radar as O'Neill weighs up a move before the window closes on September 3.
But Sinisalo, 24, is refusing to get dragged into the transfer noise. He said: "I've got no reason to think otherwise. Competition brings the best out of players, but I'm not really fussed what gets brought in. It's the same for any player. I've got the shirt and I've said it many times, I want to keep it. I've got no intention of letting go of that because I've worked so hard to get it."
Pre-season talks with O'Neill
The former Aston Villa player revealed he held talks with O'Neill and his coaching staff about his future earlier in the summer. "Yes, we did it in pre-season actually. We did it in Portugal. I kind of wanted to speak to everyone at the football club to try and see what they think I can do better," he said.
"Ultimately, I want to be a goalie who wins games for this football club. If I can listen to people who have seen goalies do that here, why would I not want to take that on board? So I've spoken with Shaun (Maloney), the gaffer, Mick (Stephen McManus) and Woodsy (Stevie Woods) and kind of set targets on what I want to do and what they want to see from me."
Patience pays off after 18 months on bench
Sinisalo had to wait patiently for his breakthrough after arriving in a £1million deal from Villa Park two years ago. His chance came last season when Schmeichel was forced to retire due to a career-ending shoulder injury. The Finn has proven a safe pair of hands ever since, playing a key role in Celtic's unlikely Double.
"Oh yes. I've never wanted to go about my career and just watch others play," he said. "There was always this plan and I understood at the time that I'm a 22-year-old goalkeeper coming from League One down south. You can't just expect to walk into a big football club like this - it doesn't work like that."
Focus on the pitch
Sinisalo pulled off a string of smart saves against LASK ahead of the return leg in Linz. "Yeah, that's what I'm trying to do. I work so hard with Mick and Woodsy and the goalies every day to kind of have those moments," he added. "Because ultimately, you're a Celtic goalie that needs to come up with those moments. Hopefully, I can keep doing that for a long time."
