Hart, Joe – The Celtic Wiki

Personal

Fullname: Charles Joseph John Hart
aka: Joseph Hart, Joe Hart, Charles Hart
Born: 19 April 1987
Birthplace: Shrewsbury, England
Signed: 3 August 2021 (£1m from Tottenham Hotspur)
Left: –
Position: Goalkeeper
Debut: –
Squad No.: 15 (2021-22), 1 (from 2022-23 onwards)
Internationals: England
International Caps: 75 [TBC at end of career]
International Goals: 0 [TBC at end of career]

Biog

Joe Hart was a surprise signing and in some ways ironic one, but really a desperate one for Celtic. The former England national goalkeeper had been often derided by some of the Celtic support as he had been given the nod ahead of Celtic’s Fraser Forster for the England number one jersey.

In recent seasons, he had been shaken badly, treated very poorly by being shunted around various clubs with little stability. For a player with his record & stature, it was poor going, and reflected poorly on the system down south. Celtic seemed to be a chance to escape that system and give his career a kick-start but with something genuine to play for rather than just keep going on the treadmill.

Now long out of the picture in the top echelons of the game in England, and with Celtic continually hitting new lows over the past 12 months, Joe Hart was transferred in cheaply to replace the underwhelming Barkas and Bain. His transfer actually came in the wake of some initial humiliating defeats in the first days of new manager Ange Postecoglou’s reign who privately at least knew that major changes was needed. The transfer in of Hart clearly demonstrated the club meant business.

A difficult debut saw him concede two goals behind a poor defence against an admittedly poor Czech side, but he wasn’t at fault, Celtic winning 4-2. He easily showed his worth from then onwards.

Despite the early struggle, he made the position his own, and was the first bulkwark to the first team as the management implemented a new strategy of starting moves from the back. Admittedly, the passing at the back of the ball to begin moves and drag in opposition players often led to heart in the mouth moments but most often paid off.

As a goalkeeper he was tremendous in both his effort and reactions despite his age, and the confidence he gave to the outfield players clearly meant they could rely on him. The defence was now a far cry better than it was the season before he arrived, and that was clearly reflected in the relatively minimal goals conceded. Admittedly, there were moments when his form could swing during matches between sublime & incredible, but he was still simply transformative.

The difference Joe Hart had made can’t be underestimated. He doesn’t stop shouting & commanding his area in the entire game, always communicating with his defenders. Unafraid to come out his box too and start the moves, opposition players could see that he was a domineering player and it was not only the box that was under his control. He also looked every bit as vocal as the team captain (McGregor) in the pre-match Huddle as well.

Joe Hart really took Celtic and the support to heart too, and in interviews even outwith of the official channels he was open about his love and admiration for both the club and the support. After the difficulties he experienced at Spurs, it showed that he was undervalued too heavily by many down south and Celtic was giving him something that money can’t buy. He made the critics eat their words, and all he needed was a bit of love/respect:

“I spoke to Ange and I told him how I was feeling, how I was happy to go and play a part because I don’t need this anymore. I said you can take this as me being vulnerable. I just need a bit of love.”

As Celtic romped to the league & league cup double in 2021/22, you could see what it all meant to him with his key role in this achievement to regain the league title with so few goals conceded in the league. Joe Hart was central to the defensive achievements and deserved all the praise that came his way.

He made some personal history by becoming only the third player ever to win all the three trophies in Scotland and England in their playing career. He deserved respect for that.

Some tough runs, and he come unstuck against RB Leipzig in a vital champions league match in October 2022, when a comical howler gifted a decisive goal only a minute after a cancelled goal via VAR.

Admittedly some found him unconvincing. He definitely had the ability of a top keeper even at his age, but some of his lapses couldn’t be ignored and explained some of the frustrations. There was always a niggling thought at the back of everyone’s mind about his ability at this stage in his career.

Brendan Rodgers Era

[….]

Quotes

“I feel really privileged, I feel very excited and feel very proud to wear the Celtic badge – even just sitting here just now with the club tracksuit on,” said the 34-year-old, 75-times capped Englishman. “I’ve not even managed to wear the jersey on the pitch yet. But, I tell you, I’m proud and excited about what’s to come.”
Joe Hart (Jul 2021)

“I think these guys just appreciate people who wear their heart on their sleeve. I’m not the greatest goalkeeper in the world but I play with my heart and I play for the club on my chest.”
Joe Hart

“I’ve loved it, I’ve loved every minute of it. I’m really happy here ( #Celtic ). Celtic is massive. Old firm (sic!|) at Celtic Park was the one of the best footballing moments I’ve ever been part of – It was Nuts!”
Joe hart on @InTheStiffs podcast (March 2022)

Playing Career

[Table to indicate clubs played for, including dates, transfers and fees where known [e.g. soccerbase table]]

APPEARANCES (subs)	LEAGUE	SCOTTISH CUP	LEAGUE CUP	EUROPE	TOTAL
2021-22	35	4	4	11	54
Shut-outs
2022-23	37	5	2	6	50
Shut-outs
2023-24
Shuts-outs

Shut-outs
Total
Shut-outs

Honours with Celtic

(Honours are marked below in which the player has played in at least one of the matches in the campaign.)
Scottish League

Scottish Cup

Scottish League Cup

Pictures

Player Pics

Forums

First Thread (2021)

Articles

Links

Articles

Double signing delight as Joe Hart and James McCarthy join Celtic

https://www.celticfc.com/news/2021/august/Double-signing-delight-as-Joe-Hart-and-James-McCarthy-join-Celtic/

Celtic Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of two new players – goalkeeper Joe Hart, who joins the club on a three-year deal from Tottenham Hotspur, and midfielder James McCarthy, who has signed a four-year deal, having left his previous club, Crystal Palace, at the end of last season.

Joe Hart, who has been capped 75 times for England, has twice won the English Premier League during 12 years with Manchester City, when he also won the FA Cup and two League Cups. And following a two-year spell with Burnley, the 34-year-old joined Tottenham in 2020.

James McCarthy is a Republic of Ireland internationalist who has been capped 43 times for his country.

James began his career at Hamilton Accies, making his first-team debut for the club at the age of just 15 back in 2006. After three years there, he moved to Wigan Athletic where he helped them to win the FA Cup in 2013 before he moved on to Everton. And after six years at Goodison, the 30-year-old joined Crystal Palace in 2019.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou said: “I’m delighted that we have signed two top-class players in Joe and James. Both of them have a wealth of experience at both club and international level, and that is something which can only benefit the squad, and I’m looking forward to working with both of them.

“I know our supporters will be well aware of both players, and I’m sure they’ll welcome them to the club and look forward to seeing both of them play for Celtic in the seasons ahead.”

Speaking of his move to Paradise, Joe Hart said: “This is a great moment for me in my career and I am absolutely delighted to be joining a club of Celtic’s stature.

“I know just how big this club is and of the incredible support that it enjoys, and I can’t wait to play in front of the fans at Celtic Park.

“I’m looking forward to meeting up with my new team-mates now and getting to work with the squad and, in particular, the other goalkeepers here.”

And James McCarthy said: “To have signed for Celtic is a brilliant feeling and this is a special day for me and my family.

“I know all about the club, the size of it and all the success it’s enjoyed, particularly in recent years. I’m looking forward to pulling on the Hoops, playing at Paradise and helping the team deliver more success to these amazing fans in the seasons ahead.”

Celtic’s ‘bit of love’ was all Joe Hart needed to find his level again says Gianluigi Buffon

By Conall McGinty 7 April, 2022 No Comments
Nice to see Joe Hart being praised by Italian World Cup legend Gianluigi Buffon in the papers today….

Celtic’s ‘bit of love’ was all Joe Hart needed to find his level again says Gianluigi Buffon

KIEV, UKRAINE – JUNE 24: Joe Hart of England looks on as Gianluigi Buffon of Italy prepares to face a penalty during the UEFA EURO 2012 quarter final match between England and Italy at The Olympic Stadium on June 24, 2012 in Kiev, Ukraine. (Photo by Scott Heavey/Getty Images)

Goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon has claimed fellow shot stopper Joe Hart is back to his best after ‘finding the love’ since moving to Parkhead this season in a deal worth just over £1m from Tottenham Hotspur.

The Italian hero, who picked up 176 international caps for his country who he represented for over 20 years, knows a thing or two about goalkeeping, and is rightly regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He is one of only a handful of players to ever play over 1,100 games throughout his professional career.

Last season Celtic endured a goalkeeping crisis as Neil Lennon often switched between Vasilis Barkas, Scott Bain and Conor Hazard, with none of the trio ever able to impress enough to become the undisputed Number One.

Photo: Andrew Milligan

Buffon, who at the age of 44 years old is still going strong now back at his first club Parma, reckons the player who was both Manchester City and England’s Number One never went away, he just needed to find a team where he could regain his confidence with once again. As reported by Daily Record, Buffon said:

“The way Joe is playing this season is no surprise to me he has always been a great goalkeeper. He just needed a place to call home again. He is a player I watched develop and I saw he had everything that was needed to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

“It was not that long ago that I called him one of the top three or four goalkeepers in the world. Along with (Manuel) Neuer, (David) De Gea and (Jan) Oblak, these guys were the next generation who could take over from myself and (Iker) Casillas.

Captain Gianluigi Buffon of Italy (R) and Joe Hart of England shake hands as they wait in the tunnel prior to the international friendly match between Italy and England at Juventus Arena on March 31, 2015 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

“That player who was No.1 for Manchester City and England didn’t go away. He just needed to find his confidence again. I have always said you have to be a little bit crazy to be a goalkeeper because you are so isolated.

“As a defender, you are part of a defence. As a midfielder, part of a midfield. But the goalkeeper is the isolated player on the field.

“You make a mistake and all eyes are on you. That is what happened with Joe. He made a couple of mistakes and people just decided he was not top level anymore.

“He needed a bit of love to find his level again and he has obviously got that love at Celtic. The top player is back and it is good to see.”

Joe Hart of England (L) and Gianluigi Buffon of Italy at the end of the international friendly match between Italy and England at the Juventus Arena on March 31, 2015 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

Hart has been nothing short of brilliant in the Celtic goals this season. He has never let the team down once, often pulling off top drawer saves at cruical times this season, including that one against Sakala during the Glasgow Derby on Sunday. He has been almost flawless with the ball at his feet, never panicking and getting play started from the back at pace. He also seems to be very vocal and good at organising the players in front of him, something very important in this slightly inexperienced Celtic side.

He has been part of a vastly improved Celtic rearguard this season that has only conceded 19 goals so far in our league campaign. This has been a vital part in lifting Celtic to the commanding position they are currently in. Buffon is right in his view of Hart. Joe has stated himself how much he enjoys being at Celtic and how the club have brought the best out of him. The Celtic fans love him and you get the feeling he loves us back.

The brutal assessment of his skills that former Tottenham Hotspur boss Nuno Espirito Santo gave Joe Hart at the start of the season, comments that made the former England number one realise his time at the club was up, may just have been one of the best thing that has happened Celtic this season. We got a goalkeeper with fire in his belly who just needed a club and a fan base to love him once more. Both sides are reaping the rewards now.

Conall McGinty

Joe Hart hails Celtic ‘class act’ as former England goalkeeper prepares for European debut

Joe Hart has promised to bring passion to Celtic as he prepares for a possible debut in tomorrow’s Europa League qualifier against Jablonec.

By Matthew Elder

Wednesday, 4th August 2021, 10:44 am

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/joe-hart-hails-celtic-class-act-as-former-england-goalkeeper-prepares-for-european-debut-3333845

The 34-year-old goalkeeper has flown out to the Czech Republic with his new team mates after completing a £1m move from Tottenham on a three-year deal.

The former England stopper could be thrown straight into action in the third qualifying round first leg clash as Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou looks to get the first win of his tenure at the fourth attempt following last week’s Champions League exit.

And Hart is keen to show what he can bring to the club after a decorated career that has included two Premier League titles, two FA Cups and two League Cups across more than a decade at Manchester City, as well as 75 international caps.

Hart said: “I’m really honoured to be here. It’s been a crazy couple of days, but I’m really excited to get started.

“I want to bring everything that the footballing world has thrown at me.

“I feel old saying this but I turned pro when I was 17 so I’ve been through a lot – lots of good, lots of bad.

“The one main thing I want to bring is passion. I love football. I’d play football whether it was with my friends or my son at home.

“I’m just so lucky I’ve been able to play it on some serious stages and hopefully I’ll get an opportunity to do it at a huge club like Celtic.

“There’s going to be passion, energy. That’s about all I can bring to the table – and hard work.”

Banish the reservations – why Joe Hart could be the necessary prescription for C…

Hart also revealed that Celtic captain Callum McGregor has made an instant impression on him after meeting his new skipper for the first time on Tuesday.

“Callum has been great,” he told Celtic TV. “It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve been in this situation, or how many teams you’ve gone into, it’s always quite daunting meeting new teammates.

“He was a class act to be honest, and made me feel at ease straight away. He’s obviously been here and worked really hard for the previous captian.

“He’s taken over you can see he’s got the respect of the lads, he’s certainly got my respect and I look forward to working for him.”

Hart revealed he is good friends with former Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster and hopes to win a similar level of adulation from the Hoops support.

“I know how well he’s done here and how well he’s thought of here and deservedly so. As a guy from outside Scotland, Celtic is known all around the world for those passionate reasons. A great fan base, great stadium, history, European nights, these are all the things I’m really hoping to be a part of.

“I’m humbled to be here, and I’m really looking forward to working with the new manager and all the players. I want to get to work, work hard, and wear this badge with pride, and hopefully do some good things.”

Joe Hart felt Celtic chance had gone as he opens up on Steven Gerrard relationship and being written off

An endearingly boyish enthusiasm is betrayed by Joe Hart in the manner he gushes over becoming a Celtic player.

By Andrew Smith

Wednesday, 4th August 2021, 10:30 pm

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/joe-hart-felt-celtic-chance-had-gone-as-he-opens-up-on-steven-gerrard-relationship-and-being-written-off-3334840

It seems certain that, even if it will be on the back of a solitary training session subsequent to his £1m move from Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday, the former England keeper will be handed his first opportunity to don the club’s colours in Thursday’s Europa League third round qualifying first leg away to Czech side FK Jablonec. Yet, the two-times English title winner with Manchester City confesses he was convinced the possibility of the adventure on which he is now about to embark had conclusively evaporated last summer. Neil Lennon then wanted the keeper, one of the highest-profile exponents of his trade in the British game across the past decade. Hart had by that stage fallen out of favour at Burnley. However, the Parkhead club ultimately, and ill-fatedly, turned to Vasilis Barkas following the collapse of a deal to retain loanee Fraser Forster, and he ended up at White Hart Lane.

“I did think [the chance to play for Celtic had gone then], if you want me to be honest,” Hart said. “It was something I was very keen on, but for whatever reason it didn’t happen. But you can’t predict football and there’s absolutely no point in trying to. You can’t take things too personally when you get a knockback because you could have exactly the same club with someone else in charge and a different opinion and different vision seeing something else in you. It’s a game of opinions. And right now the opinion was to bring me in – and my opinion was I wanted to come.”

New Celtic keeper Joe Hart in action for England…his early displays for his country leading to team-mate and now Rangers rival Steven Gerrard declaring he would become the best keeper in the world. (Photo by SNS Group/Bill Murray).

Hart’s opinion of Steven Gerrard won’t be altered now that the two former England team-mates are on opposite sides of a Glasgow divide lathered in sensitivities and toxicity. He demonstrates a nimbleness in dancing round these facets that drip to the fore courtesy of Gerrard’s presence in the technical area for champions Rangers. Asked if there had been any welcome message from Gerrard, who in 2012 described Hart as on his way to becoming “the best keeper in the world”, Celtic’s new arrival said: “I’ve not had anything yet. Steven’s fully focused on his business. There’s obviously an awful lot of respect there, and a friendship there, but when it comes to it he’s going to be pulling for his team and I’m certainly going to be pulling for mine.”

The pull for Hart’s career since he was discarded by Pep Guardiola five years ago at City has been downwards. Many have posited that he is in a decline impossible to arrest. He made 10 starts – all in Europe – for Spurs last season, following only three games in his second campaign at Turf Moor.

“I think there was at one point in my life that would’ve really itched at me and frustrated me,” he said. “But, I’ve quickly matured and realised you’re never going to please everyone. It’s impossible. An awful lot of opinions aren’t backed with facts in football. I’ve homed in on people who matter: coaching staff, players around me, and my family. Their opinions on how they think I’m going about things matter more to me than anyone else. I’ve had some serious looks in the mirror over how I’m going to go about things and how I’m going to work on myself as a goalkeeper and I feel comfortable. I really do. I want to do well for myself, my team and my family. That’s my burning desire.”

It’s not about Celtic goalkeeping coach Stevie Woods rehabilitating his career as he did with Craig Gordon and friend and former international team-mate Fraser Forster – whose sparkling season on loan across the club’s nine-in-a-row title winning campaign of 2019-20 was instructive to Hart in showing him that while “you can be anywhere on the planet, when you’re playing well and you’ve a good relationship with the fans, there aren’t many better places than Celtic.”

Celtic’s Ashley Young scores against then visiting keeper Joe Hart in the Milner/Petrov charity match three years ago this week. (Photo by Craig WilliamsonSNS Group).

“We kind of discussed it last night [about what Stevie could do for me because of his work with Gordon and Forster] and we discussed this whole kind of getting back to something. We [then] agreed it was a waste of time,” Hart said. “We’re going to work together, I’m going to work with the goalkeepers that are here, and I’m going to try to get to the best level possible. The past is the past. And if I want to reference it in a good way then, obviously, I’ve had highs. If I want to reference it in a bad way, then there have been lows. But there’s only a desire to move forward right now and make me the best goalkeeper I can be. That’s the plan.”

That too is clearly Ange Postecolgou’s long-term plan with eye-brows raised at Hart being handed a three-year deal and bought for a £1m fee… a year after he was a free transfer to White Hart Lane. The keeper doesn’t make light of these endorsements. “It is a lot of faith in me and it means everything,” he said. “I’m not sure about the reported fee, I don’t know how true that is. That’s not for me to get involved in. But just the fact Celtic wanted me here is good enough. A three-year contract at my age, I’d like to think they’ve done their research on me and they feel comfortable I’m going to be able to perform for at least those years. All that’s down to now is me repaying that faith.”

Celtic keeper Joe Hart has the last laugh after brutal Spurs assessment

By Conall McGinty 30 March, 2022 No Comments

Joe Hart. https://thecelticstar.com/celtic-keeper-joe-hart-has-the-last-laugh-after-brutal-spurs-assessment/

Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart has recently been on the ‘In The Stiffs’ podcast, where he has been discussing his move to Glasgow and how it all came about. Joe reveals during the interview the incredible discussion he had during the summer with new Tottenham Hotspur manager Nuno Espirito Santo, and how the Portuguese boss brutally told him that he would never kick a ball under his reign in the Spurs hot seat.

Nuno Espirito Santo, who incidentally only lasted 4 months at White Hart Lane before being given the sack, amazingly went even further when the former England number one questioned the reasons why he went from an important part of the squad to completely surplus to requirements. He stated that Hart was too old, too slow and had lost the strength in his body. The former Porto goalkeeper is obviously a man who doesn’t mince his words.

Joe Hart of Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Photo: Adam Davy

Speaking to the Podcast, Hart said:”‘He was like ‘I’ll speak first. Let’s be absolutely clear, no matter what happens, you’ll not kick a ball this year.” I had got on really well at the club, people had bought into what I was trying to bring and I was like “Right, okay.”

‘He said you’ll be free to work with the sporting director to get yourself out. However you want to play it, play it.

‘I said just out of interest, remove yourself from the situation, you used to be a goalkeeper, why has it come to this?Why have I gone from being whoever I was to being completely surplus to requirements in a squad, to not even being able to back up the first-choice? Speak freely.

‘He just went: “In my opinion, we all reach a point in our career where the body won’t allow you to play football. We’re at it now. I would not feel comfortable with you playing one minute for me. The ball’s too quick for you, you’re too old, you’re not moving, you’ve got no strength in your body.”

Joe Hart Celtic is seen during the UEFA Europa League, 3rd qualifying round, match FK Jablonec vs Celtic Glasgow, on August 8, 2021, in Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic. CTK Photo/Radek Petrasek

‘He literally buried me and I’m laughing because, whether I’m deluded or not, I was like, I don’t agree with any of that. I asked for your opinion, you have given it, it’s not what I wanted to hear and I am going to have to take myself out of this situation.

‘I literally went home and I am completely baffled here, I think I’m done, I can’t be a***d anymore. I can’t sit in a room anymore and have that said to me by him. I was like “I don’t need this anymore. I’m strong, I’m healthy, I love football.”

‘I went home and said I’d prefer to play 30 charity games a year for anyone who would want me to play in goal and give something back. I can’t be a***d with chasing the ace. I like playing football, but I don’t really like this anymore.

June 10th 2017, Hampden park, Glasgow, Scotland; World Cup 2018 Qualifying football, Scotland versus England; Joe Hart and Fraser Forster chat as they leave the field at full time. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

‘Everyone who had my back couldn’t really argue. They were like “I get what you are saying”.

‘I went back in the next day and said, the first bit, you are the manager, you make your decision. The rest of it was out of order. It’s done. I’m not going to be a problem. I intend to train hard every day and find some sort of solution.

‘It was just dealing with another problem for him. He’s a manager and needed to clear wood. I was part of that wood.

He made his decision and backed it. Good for him. He was the boss and I’m out’.

It was incredible to listen to the way Nuno Espirito Santo treated Hart during his last remaining weeks at Tottenham Hotspur. Some may think it shows strong management and maybe even compare it to the way Ange Postecoglou handled the deadwood at Celtic Park during his first few months in power but I can’t imagine the Australian spoke to anyone in that manner.

19th December 2021; Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland; Scottish League Cup final, Hibernian versus Celtic: Greg Taylor of Celtic and Joe Hart of Celtic celebrate with the trophy

I, along with many others, love the fact Ange came to Celtic Park and pretty much from the get go had the mantra that if anyone doesn’t want to be there and give one hundred percent then he is more than happy for them to leave. If Neil Lennon had that attitude a year earlier maybe last season wouldn’t have been the nightmare it turned in to, but the difference between Postecoglou and Espirito Santo is that I’m pretty sure the Australian wouldn’t have been so brutal with a player who wanted to stay and try their best to be an important part of the squad.

It’s been clear since he turned up at Parkhead that if anything Joe Hart is a hugely positive influence on the dressing room. It’s surprising the Portuguese manager didn’t give him a chance to prove himself but that decision played perfectly into Celtic’s hands. I will fully admit that I was apprehensive when he signed for the club, and with him coming in with James McCarthy, I felt the club were going down a path that has very seldom paid off for Celtic. One were we sign players at the end of their shelf life in the English Premier League and hope they will regain their best form with a move to Scotland.

20th November 2021; Hampden, Scottish League Cup semi-final, Celtic versus St Johnstone; Joe Hart of Celtic

In terms of McCarthy my initial doubts about him fully remain but Hart has been nothing short of brilliant in the Celtic goals this season. Although maybe not quite as good a shot stopper as say Fraser Forster, he has certainly pulled off plenty of top drawer saves this season. He has been almost flawless with the ball at his feet, never panicking and getting play started from the back at pace. He also seems to be very vocal and good at organising the players in front of him, something very important in this slightly inexperienced Celtic side.

It’s almost like he’s trying to prove a point to somebody……

Conall McGinty

Joe Hart: Celtic move has rejuvenated former England & Man City goalkeeper

By Tom EnglishBBC Scotland

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60961521

2 April 20222 April 2022.From the section Celtic

Ange Postecoglou and Joe Hart

Ange Postecoglou offered Joe Hart the chance to revitalise his career at Celtic

The internet is full of pieces documenting the demise of Joe Hart as a top-class goalkeeper. The rise and fall… Whatever happened to…? What’s gone wrong with…? Where now for…?

The man who went from winning two Premier League titles and four Golden Gloves awards with Manchester City, who won 75 caps for England, who was described as a “phenomenon” by Lionel Messi after he made 10 big saves in a Champions League knockout match against Barcelona in their pomp.

What went wrong? It’s been a puzzler ever since Hart was escorted through the door of the Etihad.

Hart might not be Ange Postecoglou’s most celebrated recruit, but he’s been one of the most significant. He’s brought saves where previously there weren’t many.

He’s brought leadership where before there was uncertainty. He’s brought presence where last season there was the musical chairs of Scott Bain and his 23 games, Vasilis Barkas and his 22 games and Conor Hazard and his six games.

Going into the Old Firm game, Hart had more clean sheets than anybody else in the league.

He had conceded a goal every 168 minutes, not far off a mark set by Craig Gordon in 2016-17, the best of the club’s treble-winning seasons. He’s only three clean sheets short of the number Gordon achieved in that campaign and only one behind the number posted by Allan McGregor in Rangers’ unbeaten league season, with plenty of games left to pass him by.

He needs two more clean sheets to match, and three more to beat, his best total as a professional footballer.

These things are about the collective, of course. Hart’s stats wouldn’t look so hot if the guys in front of him weren’t doing their stuff, which takes us back to Postecoglou hitting the bullseye with so many of his signings.

We know where they all came from – the clubs and countries – but it’s not so easy to determine where Hart came from. It wasn’t a place, as such, it was more a state of mind.

He had trophies, money, caps, recognition, but none of that was all that relevant to him when Postecoglou got him on the phone. Hart was at his lowest ebb. He needed a job. He needed somebody to show him some belief.

Celtic door opens as football world closes

Hart’s rejuvenation matches Celtic’s own renaissance. Together they’ve found a solution to their problems – a stalled career in the case of Hart, a recurring issue in goal in the case of the club.

All of this happened quietly and quickly. Given his dwindling career, there was a hesitancy about declaring Hart’s capture a coup, but he has been a critical cog. There’s been some moments of anxiety as opponents applied the high press, but mostly there’s been authority.

The fact he came from such a lonely place mentally, and talked so honestly and eloquently about that journey, only gives you greater understanding of his determination going into Sunday and beyond. Hart had done it all, but for the longest time he’d felt like a man who’d done nothing at all.

We know the outline of his story. Pep Guardiola arrives at Manchester City and instantly decides Hart is not the guy for him. He moves to Torino in the summer of 2016, concedes 62 goals in fewer than 40 games and leaves. He moves to West Ham in summer 2017, plays 23 games and wins just four, then loses his place and leaves. He misses out on the World Cup.

He arrives at Burnley in summer 2018. He concedes four goals against Fulham, Chelsea and West Ham and five against Manchester City and Everton, then after a while he loses his place. He’s on a two-year deal but the club tell him he can leave after one. And he tries. “I couldn’t find anything,” he said. “The football world was closed. I was done. I can’t be given away.”

Joe Hart talking about being without a club in 2020

The ‘Where Did It All Go Wrong?’ stuff had long since roared into view. As he put it recently: “One minute the king of the world and the next minute…”

He plays 24 games in two seasons with Burnley and then he’s away. He joins Jose Mourinho’s Spurs. Ten games, none of them league matches. Nine wins, though. Hope at last. Then Mourinho exits and Nuno Espirito Santo arrives and the worst episode of all starts to unfold.

He’s 34. Younger than team-mate Hugo Lloris. Younger than Kasper Schmeichel of Leicester. Younger than Lukasz Fabianski of West Ham. Younger than Vicente Guaita of Crystal Palace. Younger than Ben Foster of Watford. Nuno sits him down and doesn’t just say it’s over, he gets out a metaphorical flamethrower just in case there’s any confusion.

As Hart recalled on the In The Stiffs podcast: “He just went, ‘In my opinion, we all reach a point in our career when the body won’t allow you to play football. We’re at it now. I would not feel comfortable with you playing one minute for me. The ball’s too quick for you, you’re too old, you’re not moving, you’ve got no strength in your body’. He literally buried me…”

And that, not surprisingly, was that. The footballing psychoanalysts had a field day. A once gregarious, outgoing and imposing character had been diminished by a succession of rejections and a vicious cycle of poor form.

His charisma was gone, beaten out of him by a run of managers who didn’t believe in him. Used to playing in a winning and driven team (Manchester City), he couldn’t deal with life on the other side. The decline was rapid and terminal. Joe Hart was done.

There was revisionism, too. How good was Hart really? Was he a fine goalkeeper who just had a few bad years or an average goalkeeper who just had a few good years?

Even when he played well, even when he made the saves and commanded his penalty area, there was chat about this being some kind of sad and fleeting glimpse of how he used to be in the glory days rather than how he still could be.

‘I just need a bit of love’

Joe Hart 2022

Joe Hart helped Celtic clinch the Scottish League Cup this season

And so to Celtic. “I spoke to Ange and I told him how I was feeling, how I was happy to go and play a part because I don’t need this any more. I said you can take this as me being vulnerable. I just need a bit of love.”

Modern footballers rarely open themselves up like this in public, particularly those who’ve had a stellar career like Hart. If he had a reputation for cockiness, that character was long gone. Now it was just humility he was giving off. He said that Postecoglou had him at hello.

The move has worked out well for both parties. Of course it’s not the rarefied air of the English Premier League and his game is not being tested in anything like the way it would be down south, but this new chapter means the world to him, you can tell. After six years searching, he’s found in Postecoglou and Celtic exactly what he’s been looking for.

The endless conversations about Barkas and how much he cost and about Gordon and how daft Celtic were to let him go and Fraser Forster and how they really needed to do the deal to keep him in Glasgow seem like an eternity ago.

Hart turns 35 this month. Given that Gordon is 39 and Allan McGregor is 40, he’s got some good years left if the hunger remains. It sounds like he’s done with looking back. Looking forward is what it’s all about now.

“That is literally the only reason that I play mate,” Joe Hart
By Niall J 16 February, 2022 1 Comment

“That is literally the only reason that I play mate,” Joe Hart

It’s fair to say Joe Hart arrived at Celtic with a few misconceptions surrounding him, however since arriving at the club he’s been a superb addition to the first team, has become a fans favourite, and it appears is just a good bloke.

This has been highlighted again when Joe Hart who was contacted on social media by the Dad of a young Goalkeeper, Jack, who had been bullied by other children for apparently being too small to play in goals, set about making a young lad’s day.

A friend of the father took to Twitter to highlight Joe Hart’s incredible video response to the young ‘keeper –

‘my mates wee boy has took up goalkeeping and has been getting bullied by other kids for being to wee,so ma m8 messaged Joe to try n pick him up n get him lifted on an off chance n look at this 👏 top lad @JoeHart_20 credit to yerself and club’

my mates wee boy has took up goalkeeping and has been getting bullied by other kids for being to wee,so ma m8 messaged Joe to try n pick him up n get him lifted on an off chance n look at this 👏 top lad @JoeHart_20 credit to yerself and club @CelticFC #monthegoalies pic.twitter.com/ScPWSdKVln

— stephen O’neill (@stevie075) February 15, 2022

“Keep your head up, keep pushing. Play in goal because you love it, that is literally the only reason that I play mate.

“I know that I am very lucky to be playing in the position that I am but one of the main reasons that I play in goal is because I absolutely love it, I don’t care what anyone else thinks, what anyone says.

“I do it because it makes me smile, you do the same mate and you’ll do great.”

And the young lad’s father responded to Hart’s message saying – “Jack’s been buzzing since Joe sent it, and what a guy Joe is for taking the time to send it. He’s been tremendous since I first got in touch.”

A reassuring message to a wee lad might not take much, but there are not many who would take the time out to do it. Yet Joe Hart did, and although 19 clean sheets in 38 games has endeared Joe Hart enough to the Celtic support, stories like this show Hart in as good a light as any of his goalkeeping performances. And for a wee lad who felt short in stature and no doubt confidence recently, you can be sure a message from Joe Hart has made him feel ten feet tall today.

Niall J