Viljami Sinisalo has had to be patient for his real chance to shine at Celtic.
Stepping in for the injured Kasper Schmeichel and taking the Celtic number one jersey brings scrutiny straight away. The Finnish international has met it head on, three clean sheets to his name and a growing presence behind a defence that has not always looked settled.
Ibrox was the real test. A goalless 120 minutes in the Scottish Cup quarter-final last month told its own story. Celtic did not manage a single shot on target, leaving Sinisalo with no margin for error at the other end.
He dealt with it well, coming off his line and taking pressure off his defenders. It was a performance that carried weight. It was not flashy, but it was what Celtic needed on the day.
There is a voice there, too.
Sinisalo has not been shy on the pitch, organising, demanding, and making himself heard. For a goalkeeper still settling into the role, that matters, especially with a title race this tight.
The 24-year-old is not shying away from it either. He said (TCW):
“I would like to say I want to thrive on that – pressure is a privilege, as the saying goes.
“Every footballer wants to be involved in games with big pressure, and we’ve surely got many of them coming up and already have done.
“To be honest, when you’re in the game, you don’t really think about it. It’s stuff that you’ve done for a while and you’ve done it since you were a kid.
“That’s always been the approach I’ve taken. It’s something I’ve enjoyed since I was six. Why overthink it as such? It’s what you love doing and trying to showcase what I am as a person and as a footballer while enjoying it at the same time.
“I do genuinely love what I do for work. I love coming in every day and obviously I love winning.
“If we can keep doing that, and I can produce more of those celebrations, then great. I’ll try and enjoy any goal that goes in. That’s just part and parcel of it, I suppose.”
Celtic have not hit top gear this season.
There have been flat spells, dropped standards, and questions asked. Yet they are still right in it, both in the league and the cup.
That says something about the group, even if it has not always been convincing. Sinisalo’s mental strength shows that these players know nothing is set in stone, yet.
Next up is St Mirren in the Scottish Cup semi-final.
They have caused problems for Celtic already this season and will not be overawed by the occasion. Sinisalo is set for his fourth outing in the competition, with just one goal conceded so far.
Another clean sheet would not just take Celtic a step closer to Hampden silverware. It would build belief.
The run-in is coming, and it will not be straightforward.
For Sinisalo, the chance is there now. He has stepped into it without fuss so far. The next few weeks will show how far he can take it.
