Celtic keeper Sinisalo added to Finland leadership group, eyes captaincy

Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo says it would be 'a life-changing moment' if he one day captains Finland after joining the national team's revamped leadership group.

Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo has been added to Finland's revamped captaincy group, handing the 24-year-old a formal leadership role within the national team squad. According to a report from the Finnish outlet Kymppipaikka, Sinisalo joins Lukas Hradecky, Joel Pohjanpalo and Ville Koski in the four-man group, which was assembled after several players ended their international careers.

Sinisalo started Finland's 7-0 Nations League win over San Marino, with Hradecky, the team's established first choice, coming back into the side for the 0-0 draw with Belarus three days later.

The Celtic keeper is still working to dislodge Hradecky and claim the position for himself, but his influence within the squad has grown, and that has now been reflected in his promotion to the leadership group.

Speaking about his new role, Sinisalo made clear just how much the appointment means to him. "It's big. One of my biggest dreams has been to wear the ribbon on the Finland shirt," he said. "It's an honour to be in that group. If the day comes when I get to wear the ribbon, it'll be a life-changing moment."

"I'll try to help as best I can if I have to make a decision with the group," Sinisalo said of his responsibilities. He also admitted that it feels strange to count himself among the squad's older players. "I'm starting to be in the middle-aged group in this group, which is pretty crazy to say," he said. "The captain has many roles on and off the field. Quite a nice choice!"

Asked what kind of captain he would be, Sinisalo predicted a vocal presence in the role. "Probably quite loud," he said. "There is quite a lot of talk and that is probably the biggest thing. I try to take everyone's opinions into account, and I have been lucky in that I have seen during my young career what good captains are like. 'Luke' is a good example. He takes on every captain and molds himself accordingly." The reference was to Hradecky, the senior member of Finland's goalkeeping ranks.

Hradecky endorsed the move by pointing to Sinisalo's previous leadership experience with Finland's under-21 team. "Viljami was already captain in the under-21s," Hradecky said. Finland head coach Jacob Friis has also highlighted Sinisalo's personality and performances when explaining the goalkeeper's inclusion in the new-look group.

At club level, Sinisalo opened the season as Celtic's starter in goal after Kasper Schmeichel retired. The arrival of Sam Johnstone has since given him a rival for the No. 1 shirt at the Scottish Premiership club.

Finland's next fixture comes against Albania on Saturday, October 3, at Helsinki Olympic Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 9:00 AM EDT. The match will be shown on FS2 in the United States.