Kasper Schmeichel owes Celtic nothing. Who cares where he spent his afternoon?

I had not intended to do another piece tonight, but there is an article on one of the other sites that I wanted to touch on briefly. I don’t want to spend too long on it, because in the grand scheme of things this really is not worth a major argument.

The article suggested that Kasper Schmeichel’s “loyalty” is in question, as if he had broken some kind of code of conduct with Celtic, because he chose not to be at our game today, instead watching Manchester City against Arsenal at the Etihad.

Honestly, I do not know why anyone would care.

I suspect there aren’t many of us who are going to lose any sleep over where Kasper Schmeichel decided to spend his afternoon. He was at Manchester City a lot longer than he has been at Celtic, and perhaps he simply fancied lending his old club some support. That is allowed. Celtic pay his wages, but we do not own him. We do not have the guy on a leash, and I would like to think the club would never be quite that petty.

The same article suggested that any idea Celtic might have had about giving him a contract while he recovers from injury should now be reconsidered, and that any offer should be taken off the table. I think that is a bit much.

Actually, I think it is a lot much.

For one thing, punishing a player over where he chooses to watch a game would be needless and vindictive. But I would go further than that. The idea that Celtic should offer any player a contract as some kind of act of charity is also wrong.

Kasper Schmeichel came here to do a job. He did not join a cult.

Don’t get me wrong. I love it when players develop a real attachment to Celtic. I love it when they leave and still talk about this club with affection, when they say it was one of the most fulfilling and rewarding periods of their careers.

Honestly, I can’t get enough of that stuff, because it shows those players recognised they were in a special place.

But it is not a requirement. It is not part of the deal.

You do not sign away the rest of your life when you sign for Celtic. Football is a mercenary business. I have said that many times, and I will keep saying it because it is true. Players come here to work. Some fall in love with the place. Some do not. That is football.

By the same standard, I think Martin O’Neill’s comments about giving James Forrest another contract are questionable too. Again, we are not a charity. We have to look beyond the here and now and at where we are trying to go.

We do not owe anyone loyalty beyond whether they can still do the job we need them to do.

The next manager has a squad to build. James Forrest may still have moments to offer, but keeping him around risks becoming a distraction from that job. It gives managers and the board a reason to think that position is covered when it really isn’t.

The same principle applies to Schmeichel.

Celtic should not offer contracts out of sentiment. But we should not withdraw them out of pettiness either. The decision should be simple. Does the player fit what we need next season? If yes, discuss it. If no, move on. That should be the entire calculation.

There is also a basic realism here.

Taking personal offence because a player went to watch another team on a day when Celtic were playing feels beneath us. It did not affect the game. We did not lose a two-goal lead because Schmeichel was not sitting in the stand. We did not explode into life in extra time because he was sending hopeful thoughts from Manchester.

His presence or absence made no difference at all.

So the idea that he owed us his attendance, or that he somehow failed some unwritten test of loyalty, feels overblown. He has a life and connections elsewhere. He is entitled to spend a free afternoon where he likes.

And in case it is not obvious, let me say this too.

We should have taken Schmeichel out of the team earlier. We should not have let him play through injury, and we certainly should not have put him in a position where he carried something that affected his performances.

If he feels a little frustrated with Celtic, I would not be completely stunned, and I would not hold it against him either.

He came to this club and gave good service. If his injury keeps him out for good, then I wish him nothing but the best. That is really where this should begin and end.

On a night when Celtic have reached a cup final, I cannot get too worked up about where one injured player chose to watch a football match. There are bigger things to worry about. There are certainly better things to write about.

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