Kasper Schmeichel says Celtic must never take success for granted

Kasper Schmeichel has told Celtic fans to never take success for granted as they close in on a sixth treble in nine seasons.

Victory over Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday would make it 22 trophies out of 27 since Brendan Rodgers first arrived at Celtic Park in the summer of 2016.

Goalkeeper Schmeichel told the Official Celtic FC Podcast: “We must never, ever take these for granted, because it’s not easy winning trophies or titles.

“Celtic have been able to do it because we have maintained an incredibly high standard of professionalism that’s rooted deeply in hard work and dedication. Without that, it’s not going to happen.

“So one thing I always would preach to anybody, any football fan, is to never take for granted the opportunity and never take for granted how much hard work goes into getting those opportunities.

“I’ve been very lucky in my career to win trophies at different stages, with different teams, different clubs, and these opportunities don’t just come along.

“There will be periods you will see big clubs…Liverpool went a long time without winning, Manchester United are in one now.

“There’s big clubs that go through big periods of transition, so you must never take these things for granted.

“We’ve got to enjoy them because you never know what’s around the corner.

“But one thing I can guarantee, from my knowledge of the people in this building, is that no-one’s going to let up. No-one’s going to let any standards drop or let focus go somewhere else.”

The 38-year-old former Leicester player added: “I think that’s the role of a professional footballer, to know that you cannot take anything for granted.

“No-one’s going to give you anything, and every time you win, the target on your back gets bigger. It gets bigger and bigger and bigger, and when you have that crest on your chest and that target on your back, you’ve got to be able to handle that pressure.

“You’ve got to be able to handle that, and that is the role of a Celtic player.

“We’ve been able to deliver two for now, and hopefully three, and then we enjoy that, and then we reset, and we go again next year.”