Former Denmark goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has been released by Aston Villa because the club can longer guarantee him first team football, manager Graham Taylor said on Friday. The 38-year-old, who joined Villa on a free transfer from Sporting Lisbon in July last year, will not play again for the club and Finnish international Peter Enckelman will play in Saturday's English premier league game against Leeds United.
"Peter had a verbal guarantee with former manager John Gregory that he would be the number one goalkeeper at Villa," Taylor said. "The club had an option on his contract to keep him for another year but, as I could not give him the same guarantee for next season, there was no point taking up the option of a new deal. The last thing I would want and the last thing he would want is for him to be sitting on the substitutes' bench as our number two goalkeeper."
"At this stage of his career, with what that man has done throughout his career in football, you cannot do that to him." Taylor, who took over from Gregory two months ago, said he discussed the issue with Schmeichel on Thursday and they had mutually agreed that he would not be retained.
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
