Celtic Fans Will Love John McGinn's Take on Viljami Sinisalo

Celtic fans will love John McGinn's take on one of their fringe players, as he gets ready for his big chance.

Aston Villa FC v Club Brugge KV Aston Villa FC midfielder John McGinn (7) before the Aston Villa FC v Club Brugge KV UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd Leg match at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom on 12 March 2025 Credit: Alex Young Every Second Media Editorial use only. All images are copyright Every Second Media Limited. No images may be reproduced without prior permission. Copyright: xIMAGO EveryxSecondxMediax ESM-1370-0106 AlexxYoungx xEveryxSecondxMediax / IMAGO / Every Second Media

Viljami Sinisalo looks set to get his big chance at Celtic after arriving in the summer from Aston Villa. So far, he has only made one cup appearance for the Hoops.

But the window of opportunity appears to have opened up for Sinisalo after Kasper Schmeichel was injured while on international duty with the Denmark national team.

Schmeichel had to go to the hospital after the game and there are fears that he could have picked up a long-term injury, which might potentially keep him out for the rest of the season. We wish him a speedy recovery.

That is bad news for Celtic. They still have two trophies to play for. While league triumph seems like only a matter of time, they could seriously miss Schmeichel's quality and leadership in the Scottish Cup.

John McGinn's feelings about Sinisalo might give the Celtic fans something to be positive about in this situation though.

Sinisalo has not made a league appearance for Celtic yet but he is no stranger to the Scottish game, having spent time on loan at Ayr United in the Championship.

According to the Daily Record, his former boss Mark Kerr said: "The deal came about through Willo Flood. He knew one of the scouts down there and then when his name came up I texted John McGinn.

"John said he was training with the Villa first team every day and he was a cracking boy with a lot of ability.

"He said he would do a decent job. Viljami was still only 18 year-old at the time so we brought him up to train and to have a look, only because he was so young.

"He really made an impression. He was a big lad but agile and you could tell he would be different class."

It would be safe to say that Sinisalo has developed as a player since then. After his spell at Ayr United, he also had loan spells at Burton Albion and Exeter City. He has also made a few appearances for the Finland national team.

If Schmeichel indeed ends up having to spend significant time out on the sidelines. Celtic will need Sinisalo to step up to the plate and be a hero. This is his big opportunity. If he can do that, then the club might have found their long-term goalkeeper. If he fails, he might not end up having much of a future at Parkhead.

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