“Training with Peter Schmeichel was pretty intimidating. He could be quite rough. He’d put me in my place. One day he’d be my best friend and the next he wouldn’t even say, ‘Good morning’” Thomas Sorensen on his relationship with Denmark’s greatest
For many, Peter Schmeichel was the greatest goalkeeper of his generation.
The Dane enjoyed a trophy-laden career with Manchester United and also played a huge part in helping his country to a remarkable European Championship victory in 1992.
Schmeichel would eventually be succeeded as Denmark’s No. 1 by Thomas Sorensen, with the former Sunderland stopper able able to benefit from training alongside his legendary compatriot.
“There was nothing better than watching him train,” Sorensen tells FourFourTwo. “It was great because you could see him firsthand and get a lot of experience.
There were times, however, when Schmeichel’s formidable reputation came to the fore at training.
“It was also pretty intimidating,” Sorensen adds. “He could be quite rough sometimes. He’d put me in my place. One day he’d be my best friend and the next he wouldn’t even say, ‘Good morning’ to me.”
But as the pair have got old, this relationship has mellowed.
“He was a strange character in some ways, but I’ve gotten to know him a lot better over the years and I’m still good friends with his son Kasper,” he adds. “He’s totally different now than he was in his playing days.”
Schmeichel called time on his international career in 2001, leaving Sorensen with the somewhat tough task of replacing an all-time great in the Danish team.
“It wasn’t just me – there were a few of us dubbed ‘The next Peter Schmeichel’,” Sorensen recalls.
“I ended up being the winning horse. From the outset, I knew I was different from him and wanted to do it my way. He was very loud, outspoken and aggressive on the pitch. I was a little bit calmer.
“I came in at the right time because I’ve spoken to a lot of goalkeepers who were in his shadow for years and never got the chance. It probably wasn’t as hard as people think. We had success as a team and I played some good games. That always helps.
“He wasn’t forgotten, but that changeover was accepted pretty quickly.”
