A giant of the modern game

Few critics would argue that Danish legend Peter Schmeichel was during his prime the best goalkeeper in the world.

Schmeichel made his name at Manchester United where he was a pillar at Old Trafford during a trophy-laden 8-year spell, but he first came to international prominence at the 1992 European Championships when Denmark stunned the footballing world with an unlikely victory after stepping in for the expelled Yugoslavs.

Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel vies in a friendly soccer match between Denmark and Slovenia at Parken stadium 25 April 2001. After having defended the Danish goal in 128 games in the past 14 year, Peter Schmeichel retired from the Danish national team after the final whistle of this game. (DENMARK OUT)

Following his spell at United the highlight of which was the 1999 Treble winning season that included the Champions League, Schmeichel also added a Portuguese championship medal to his cabinet tending goal for Sporting Lisbon.

Standing 1.94m tall and weighing around 99kg, Schmeichel's huge physical presence appeared to block all routes to his goal but he was surprisingly agile and his fierce will to win puts him alongside some of the great goalkeepers of all time including Lev Yashine, Gordon Banks and Dino Zoff.

Denmark's most capped player, Schmeichel was heavily influential in Manchester United's re-emergence as a major force in English and European football during the 1990s.

Bargain for United

He was spotted by United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and snapped up from Danish club Brondby in 1991 for a fee of just 650,000 pounds (about one million US dollars) in what must go down as one of the transfer bargains of the decade.

Manchester United«s Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, holds up the cup after winning the European Champions League final against Bayern Munich, 26 May 1999. It was the last match for Schmeichel in the Manchester United outfit, as he is leaving the club after eight years. Manchester won 2-1.

Eight years and 398 appearances later Schmeichel left United with a suitcase bulging with silverware.

Ferguson tried to persuade him to stay, but the giant Dane was determined that he wanted to finish with the club at the top.

Dutch Boudewijn Zenden (R) tries to score against Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel 16 June 2000 during the EURO 2000 soccer championships first round Group D match Denmark vs The Netherlands in Rotterdam. The Netherlands won 3-0. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE)

After helping Denmark clinch qualification for Euro 2000, the veteran 'keeper was helpless as his country were sadly outclassed by their group rivals France, Holland and the Czech Republic during the first round of the tournament.

Lacking in defensive support, Schmeichel was forced to pick the ball out of his constantly under siege goal, a whopping eight times in three matches, while his teammates failed to offer him even one goal in attack.

He quit the national scene in 2001 with a record 129 caps but continued to play at the highest level moving to Aston Villa the same year and then joining Kevin Keegan's Manchester City in 2002 ironically the bitter rivals of cross-town neighbors United.