Celtic star Viljami Sinisalo is eyeing the number one spot for Finland, with 36-year-old goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky now likely nearing the end of his career after 106 caps and counting.
Hradecky remains the number one choice for Finland as things stand, but there is only so much time he is going to be able to keep hold of that spot.
Sinisalo is hoping to take that role from him ultimately, but he is chasing the position with the utmost respect.
“It’s amazing to play for the national team and that’s what we all want to do," said the Celtic stopper,, as cited by The Herald. "No matter who it’s against, it’s the ultimate honour and hopefully, there will be more games for me.
“Of course, Lukas Hradecky is a big figure in Finnish football and one of the greatest footballers of all time, not only as a goalkeeper but also as a person.
“He is a big player for us and will be for as long as he plays for the national team. Every day we try to learn, work together and make sure that we are the best national team possible. When you play for a big club like Celtic, you learn to take everything one game at a time and it’s the same with international football. You can’t really think beyond the next game.
“If the minutes come for me, I’m ready. If not, I’ll help as one of the vice-captains and be a good teammate and try to make sure that everyone is ready so that we can take points. We are in the Finland shirt for the common good. That is the most important thing. If I get minutes, that is a great thing. If not, I am ready to support the team.”
Sinisalo is facing a similar battle at club level, starting the season as Celtic's number one then being temporarily replaced by Sam Johnstone. Since then, he has won back his starting role, and it must be said that Sinisalo has largely been a reliable keeper for the Bhoys.
He also offers good distribution, regularly trying to push up the back line by getting outside the box and demanding the ball. It will be interesting to see whether O'Neill sticks with Sinisalo after the break, but the evidence has been that the 24-year-old is the better of the two options, at least as things stand.
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