‘The Danish Catch’: Goalkeepers from Denmark catch ball differently

Denmark has produced a number of top quality goalkeepers over the years.

Peter Schmeichel is one of the greatest ‘keepers of all time, starring for Manchester United in the 1990s.

His son, Leicester City star Kasper, also turned out to be decent between the sticks.

Other goalkeepers to hail from the European nation including Jonas Lossl, Thomas Sorenson and Anders Lindegaard.

You may have noticed that Kasper Schmeichel, Denmark’s vice-captain and Leicester’s first-choice goalkeeper for the past decade, has a rather unusual style when it comes to catching the ball.

But if you’ve never noticed it before, that’s understandable. It’s quite hard to spot in real time.

However, footage posted to Twitter in 2020 by Pro GK Academy (@progkacademy) from a Denmark training session shows the technique in slow motion.

As the ball travels towards him, Schmeichel sets himself and raises his hands towards his chin, tucking his elbows in before allowing the ball to hit his chest.

The placement of his arms creates a barrier and the ball subsequently comes to a standstill.

Watch the video here:

The Danish Catch has got to be the most interesting way to catch a ball