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Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel: I'm still old school

Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel says he's never changed his approach over the years.

The Dane is preparing for the FA Cup final against Chelsea today.

He told BBC Sport: "The world has changed so much, football has changed so much. I still have a lot of the old-school in me.

"As a six, seven, eight-year-old I heard the way players spoke to each other and it was to the point and very direct. You have got to have a bit more finesse these days, say it in a constructive way.

"For us older players it is great to learn from the youngsters and the way they interact. When we were young, we used to hammer each other and rib each other all the time, now they are so supportive and complimentary.

"It's really important you move with the times and educate yourself all the time. No-one is the finished product so we are learning as well as telling them: 'You don't have to do this, don't have to Instagram your whole life - this is about football, it's not about everything else.' Because it is so easy these days to get caught up in that world.

"When you are playing in a team like Leicester, when we are fighting for trophies, you need some grit and determination, you need to be able to dig deep, to be able to have uncomfortable conversations, be tough with each other and demanding of each other, in a proper way.

"When you do point the finger, it is never personal. It is about winning and us getting better.

"Brendan Rodgers has been an inspiration. I really can't praise his skills as a manager and as a person enough.

"The clarity in his messages, the way he wants us to play, the way he wants us to act on and off the field, the standards he demands all the time, that's the kind of thing that will bring a club forward."

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Paul Vegas

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