From saving Exeter to Celtic: the 23 y/o who isn't afraid to take penalty if required

With regular No 1 Kasper Schmeichel still recovering from a shoulder injury, 23-year-old Sinisalo is set to line up for Celtic at Hampden Park tomorrow in the Scottish Cup semi-final against St Johnstone. Exactly a year ago, he was pulling off a number of saves for Exeter as they won 2-1 away at Northampton Town with ten men to avoid relegation.

Sinisalo is taking the rapid rise in his stride, enjoying being at the sharp end of competing for trophies rather than at the other end of the football spectrum. The Finn has been forced to bide his time since joining Celtic from Aston Villa but due to Schmeichel's unfortunate injury picked up on international duty last month, Sinisalo has started the past three matches.

“I didn't know that, fair enough,” smiled Sinisalo when it was put to him that on April 20, 2024 he was performing heroics for Exeter in front of 7,000 fans at Sixfields in the third tier of English football. “It's been a big year for myself.

“I remember that game, we won 2-1 with a man down at Northampton. It kind of secured our safety in the league that day. We were 1-0 up at half-time and they equalised in the 70th minute. So you're thinking, 'OK, right, 20 minutes to go and it might be a long 20 minutes'. We ended up winning the game going from 1-1 each, I think 85th minute we scored to secure the safety.

“It's probably a different type of game than what you get in most games here at Celtic, but it's one of them. You've got to take what you can from all these things. All these experiences make you the keeper you want to be one day. So I'm trying to very much do that.

“You fast forward to now, where I am, the football club that I'm now part of, it's probably something I'd say is surreal in a way. But listen, I'm just trying to take it in as we go. I'm enjoying every minute, I'm enjoying every day I come in. This opportunity of playing has been great for me, I've loved it. The more you play, the better you get, that's what I'm a big believer in. It's been a great start.”

Sinisalo is no stranger to Hampden Park either, having been on the bench in Celtic's Premier Sports Cup semi-final and final. He also won his third cap for Finland at the national stadium last summer when he came on against Scotland at half-time in a 2-2 draw for Jesse Joronen.

“It was great,” Sinisalo recalled of that day back in June. “I wasn't necessarily expecting to come on. The keeper got injured right before half-time and I've had a tap on the shoulder in the dressing room right before I've come on. It all happens quite quickly. I get into the game, there's an early save and then obviously Scotland go 2-0 up quite early, early doors, 15 minutes played. You're thinking, I've just come on here and I've conceded two.

“We managed to get a decent result then, get 2-2 and a few decent saves towards the end. But yes, I've got fond memories of Hampden. I've loved playing there. I've been on the bench the two times we've played there previously this season and now I've got a chance to put the jersey on there myself. So I'm very much relishing that opportunity."

Sinisalo admits that his cameo at Hampden did him no harm in terms of securing a move to Celtic later that summer. “I knew of the interest,” continued the former Ayr United loanee. “It's one of them. The season was still very much going on for me at that time. I'd just come off the back of having a season at Exeter and it was only nine days later we played against Scotland. So you're still not really switched off yet and you're not thinking of next season yet.

“I probably knew of something like that, probably seen something written or something like that. But it was very much me trying to just do my best and if something happens, then something happens. Then, let's say, it probably didn't do us any harm playing against Scotland. And then four or five weeks later, I found myself signing for Celtic. So it really happens quite quickly, as you all know."

Sinisalo is a voracious consumer of football and he was watching on TV last year when Celtic required a penalty shootout to overcome Aberdeen after a 3-3 draw in last season's Scottish Cup. It was notable for then Celtic No 1 Joe Hart missing a penalty before saving from Killian Phillips to ensure Celtic's passage to the final.

Will he take one if it goes all the way? “I watched that game actually and I know how Harty obviously missed and then went on to save the penalty,” smiled Sinisalo. “So you go from a huge down to being the hero, then about 30 seconds later. Listen, if I have to take a penalty, I'll take a penalty. I'm sure there'll be lads taking it before me, but I'll try and stick to saving them and if it comes to it, I'll take it. But we'll see if we get to that.

“I've taken one in a penalty shootout [for Finland Under-16s v Spain]. So I did score, yeah. Saving penalties is more important than scoring them.

“We do so much work with the goalkeeper coaches, wherever you are, whatever club you are. Especially here with Woodsy [goalkeeping coach Stevie Woods], we would do so much to know where the opposition player might be going and how could you get him to go a certain way or something like that. There's so much in football nowadays.

“But it goes the other way as well. Attackers know that keepers are thinking about it. It's a bit of a mind game. So yeah, let's see. If I have to save some, I'll do my best to try and do so.”

The confident Finn saved three penalties last year in League One for Exeter. Celtic will hope they are in safe hands.