Viljami Sinisalo made his long-awaited Celtic debut in the 5-0 Scottish Cup victory over Raith Rovers, and while he didn’t have much to do between the sticks, the Finnish goalkeeper marked the occasion with a clean sheet and a message of gratitude to the fans.
After the match, Sinisalo took to social media to share his delight, posting:
“Debut at Paradise. Thanks for all the support.”
With Celtic dominating possession and Raith Rovers struggling to threaten, Sinisalo had a relatively quiet afternoon. However, he remained alert when called upon, showing composure with his distribution and positioning.
The clean sheet will be a confidence booster for the 22-year-old, who got the nod with Kasper Schmeichel sidelined due to a minor back injury. Schmeichel is expected to return for Wednesday’s Champions League showdown with Bayern Munich, but Sinisalo’s solid debut ensures Rodgers has reliable cover in goal.
Teammates Jeffrey Schlupp and Greg Taylor reacted to the post.
Sinisalo has had to wait for his debut. Many had expected the shot-stopper to get some minutes in cup competitions prior to the Raith match. But Kasper Schmeichel has kept his fellow summer signing out of the team.
The Dane has impressed with Celtic, and has extended his contract until the end of next season.
