Hart, Joe – Articles (Misc)

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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

“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.”

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

Vasilis Barkas praises ‘fantastic’ Celtic star who had no ego

Vasilis Barkas praises ‘fantastic’ Celtic star who had no ego

By Lubo98 9 May, 2024 No Comments
[Vasilis Barkas praises ‘fantastic’ Celtic star who had no ego]
Celtic v Hearts – Joe Hart celebrates the 3-0 victory in the cinch Premiership match at Celtic Park, Saturday May 4, 2024. Photo Andrew Milligan

Former Celtic goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas has praised Joe Hart for his personality and quality on the pitch. The Greek goalkeeper endured a torrid debut season after signing from AEK Athens for £4.5m before Joe Hart was signed to become the first team goalkeeper in Ange Postecoglou’s first summer as manager.

However, reflecting on his time at Celtic, Barkas said it was a ‘pleasure’ to know Hart, who he said had no ego despite all that he achieved in the game.

“Joe Hart was a fantastic person as well as being a fantastic player, with a strong sense of humour. He achieved so much by winning the Premier League and FA Cup at Manchester City, but he never had an ego.

“He was humble and worked hard every single day in training. We had a strong relationship and shared many laughs together. It was a pleasure to know him.”
Photo: Andrew Milligan

Hart will really appreciate these comments as he has commented before about wanting his character to lead before his quality on the pitch (which he has in abundance). The former Man City title winner will be looking to bow out with a Premiership and a Scottish Cup before Brendan Rodgers and the club are forced to dip into the transfer market for a new goalkeeper. The club will be hoping that it is a Hart signing rather than a Barkas signing.

Celtic cut ties with Barkas last summer and he has been getting back to his best with Utrecht since then. Barkas made just two appearances in the 2021/22 season and found himself down the pecking order at Celtic with the Englishman firmly the No.1. The arrival of Hart as well as Scott Bain being given a new deal suggests that the prospect of ever breaking back into the first team was slim.

‘I’m not checking out’ – Joe Hart still up for Celtic-Rangers title battle as he opens up on retirement decision

Former England goalkeeper will hang up his gloves at the end of the season

By Ronnie Esplin

Published 22nd Feb 2024, 16:26 GMT

Joe Hart believes announcing his retirement from football will end speculation about his future with Celtic.

The former England and Manchester City goalkeeper, who made his senior debut for Shrewsbury in April 2004 and won 75 caps for his country, will be 37 when his three-year contract expires in the summer.

He followed Sir Kenny Dalglish and Andrei Kanchelskis in claiming winners’ medals in the three major trophies in England and Scotland when Celtic won the Scottish Cup last season but this will be his final season as he looks to help Brendan Rodgers plan for the future.

“This is something I have thought about for a while,” Hart told Celtic TV. “There’s no right or wrong time is there but the way this club works is that I’m playing out at the moment. There’s so much on it. There’s so much heart and soul poured into what we’re doing as a football club.

“But with the grand scheme of the club, with the support base, and the conversations that go on around it, there’s obviously a conversation around the goalkeeping position for next season.

“So I just think it was really important that with the blessing of the club – I’ve had the conversations with the club with Brendan, with Stevie Woods (goalkeeping coach) – that we get the message out, it takes one thing off the table that people need to speculate over.

“I’m definitely not going to be there next season. I’m not going to be available to play football next season. So I want to take that off the table and then we can talk about why and then push forward.”

Hart still feels “great” physically and he stressed his commitment to the Parkhead club as they look to defend their cinch Premiership title and the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup. With 13 league fixtures remaining, the Hoops are two points behind Old Firm rivals Rangers and Hart, who joined the Scottish champions from Tottenham in 2021, promised Hoops fans he remains up for the fight.

He said: “Mentally I’m in that one place that I like to be, I’m in a place of clarity. Obviously, I’ve thought about this a lot. I think the right the right time is now. I’ve got the clarity of mind that I was able to go to the club and explain my position and them totally understand.

“I think the hardest thing for me once I’d made the decision was to explain that although I intend on finishing from June onwards, I’m so up for it. I’m so still so involved and still so committed. And I thank the club for that. I think Brendan and Stevie Woods for understanding where my mind was at and understanding me as a person.

“So I appreciate the open mindedness of the club and hopefully the open mindedness of the fans when they see this and understand that this is not someone who’s checking out, this is someone who’s just letting people know because they think it’s important.

“I’m not retiring from working. I just won’t be a goalkeeper anymore. All I want to do now is focus. I want to focus on the job in hand, representing this amazing club that I play for and living my heart and soul on the field.”

Scottish Cup: Penalty ‘maniac’ Joe Hart centre of shootout drama as Celtic reach final

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68865561

By Amy CanavanBBC Scotland

Last updated on

20 April 202420 April 2024.From the section Scottish Cup

Watch Aberdeen v Celtic penalty shootout

After being at the heart of the utterly enthralling events at Hampden, Joe Hart admitted: “I’m a maniac when it comes to penalties.”

That was on show and then some when the former England international strode forward in the shootout to take Celtic’s fifth penalty – one that would have secured his side’s victory against Aberdeen and sent them into the Scottish Cup final.

But he skelped the woodwork. Sudden death it was, and sudden death saved him. Or rather, his own reflexes saved him.

In a quirk, or as the 37-year-old put it, “for once it paying off to be a goalkeeper” Hart went from culprit to hero as he smothered Killian Phillips’ strike from the spot to spark Celtic delirium and Aberdeen devastation.

It’s a save that ensured Hart and his team-mates will come back to the national stadium on 25 May as Celtic search for a record-extending 42nd success in the Scottish Cup in a game that will also pull the curtain down on a glittering career for the goalkeeper.

Should Hearts or Rangers, who meet in the second semi-final on Sunday, take Celtic the distance, will Hart be stepping again?

“100%,” he said. “I’ll always put myself forward.”

‘He’s a very good penalty taker’

‘I need a therapy session after that!’ – Rodgers

While Hart’s trot to the spot raised eyebrows, Brendan Rodgers did not share such shock.

“We were going through it in the last couple of days and he was one of the designated takers, for the fifth one,” said the Celtic manager, who remains unbeaten at Hampden after 10 visits.

“Joe is very upbeat and positive. I always say to players to take risks, and he is a very good penalty taker, we see it in training.

“He has taken it, he has missed it, but he didn’t get down on himself, and ended up being the hero.”

Hart’s “courage and confidence” came up trumps and his experience helped too. And while this trophy-laden career draws to a close, Hart wants to be engulfed by all that’s left of it.

“I’ve just wanted to be a part of everything,” he added. “We are going to go right to the wire potentially in the league and now we have a date here at the end of the season.

It was so nearly derailed, though. Aberdeen trail leaders Celtic by 43 points in the Premiership and are languishing ninth, but at times they displayed the hunger and fight Rodgers’ side will need to show as they look to defend both trophies left up for grabs.

Hart was quick to heap praise on Aberdeen and was a master of understatement when saying they “made it tough” for the league leaders.

While the Dons’ wait for success in the competition drags on beyond 34 years, stand-in captain Angus MacDonald could only ruefully reflect on what might have been.

When the defender rose to head the sixth goal of a remarkable game in the last minute of extra time – atoning for his error that had allowed Celtic’s Nicolas Kuhn to make it 1-1 in the first half – he was convinced his side “would go on to win it.”

MacDonald added: “It’s 50-50 when it gets to penalties, isn’t it? The boys did well to get it that far and we had our chances to win it. On another day they would go in.

“We are disappointed for the fans today because they have followed us everywhere this season. We have to take the positives from the game, we can’t let our standards drop now.”

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised the whole way,” Joe Hart on his time at Celtic

https://thecelticstar.com/ive-been-pleasantly-surprised-the-whole-way-joe-hart-on-his-time-at-celtic/

By Jessica Elliott 25 April, 2024 1 Comment

[“I’ve been pleasantly surprised the whole way,” Joe Hart on his time at Celtic]

As Joe Hart approaches his retirement from playing, The Celtic Star along with several other fan media outlets had the chance to speak with the legendary goalkeeper. Joe Hart answered all our questions brilliantly, telling us whether he will become a coach indue course, and talked about his strange love for the Livingston away fixture, this is everything that Joe had to say to the Celtic fan media a few nights ago…

Q: A thank you on behalf of the fans for not over-celebrating yesterday [vs Aberdeen at Hampden], consoling the opposition, to show a bit of class etc. because that’s what Celtic’s all about.

Joe Hart: “I don’t think I’ve been in many penalty shootouts but I’m well aware of what it takes to get to that position. It’s a special moment but at the same time, it’s an important moment. I think Aberdeen were superb, they really were. They were on their last legs. They went through the pain, but somebody’s got to lose.”

Q: Are you interested in going into goalkeeping coaching?

Joe Hart: “No, I haven’t taken any coaching badges. That was quite a conscious decision. I know that the coaching line, or the management, is ingrained in a lot of people but it doesn’t necessarily do it for me. I want to help, I want to give back, but I feel like there are different ways I can help. I’ll always be available to Celtic if they ever need to lean on me for anything I can help with. I’ve made the manager aware of that, I’ve made the club aware of that but physically, coaching a specific team isn’t something I’m looking to do.”

Q: Are there any standout moments that come to mind in a Celtic jersey?

Joe Hart: “I hope there’s a few more moments to come, I really do. Last year was pretty special. Stood at the end of the season with all three trophies, that was a special day and something that I really enjoyed but genuinely, there’s been so many, I’m a guy who lives in the moment. Yesterday [at Hampden]was a special moment, it was a bit of a ride but like I say, hopefully, I’ll be able to have this conversation in a couple of months and I’ll have a few more to pick through and decide from.”

Q: When it came to Celtic, was it about first-team football coming towards the end of your career?

Joe Hart: “No, it wasn’t just necessarily about first-team football. I’ll be honest, I’ve said it before, at the point of coming here, I didn’t know if I wanted to carry on in professional football anymore. That’s not because I was feeling sorry for myself, not because I didn’t think I was capable, I just didn’t think there was a place for me to do what I love to do. And what I love to do is play football for someone I can give my all to.

“You know, football is a business and I probably felt that for three or four years when I was dotting around and kind of being at clubs and kind of not. I was probably willing to leave it. I thought ‘you know what, I’ve done everything I need to do and been accepted for as long as this’. But then the opportunity to come to a club like this was slightly unknown but what I did know really appealed to me.

“It’s a club that you play for, you don’t work for, and you integrate, and I wanted that opportunity. Especially because I have a young son who hasn’t necessarily seen me play much football. When he was about three years old, everywhere we went, people knew who we were, but he didn’t know why. I wanted to dance in front of 60,000 and try to show him what I can do.”

Q: What advice would you give yourself looking back?

Joe Hart: “Nothing. Don’t overthink it. I’m not big on looking back, I wouldn’t give myself any. I think that’s been the greatest thing about being here, learning and growing into it.”

Q: You’ve had a long career but if you could bring one player from one previous squad you’ve played with into this current Celtic squad, who would you bring?

Joe Hart: “You know what, I wouldn’t, and that’s just because I’m so protective of my group. The teams that I’m in, I love them. Especially being the age that I am, I’d feel wrong saying a player because I’d be isolating a position in the team. I’ve been lucky enough to play with some mega players throughout my career and some really good people.”

Q: Not Balotelli then?

Joe Hart: “It wouldn’t be him! If I had to be pushed, it wouldn’t be him. But no, I probably couldn’t say because I care too much about the boys around us. We’ve got so much opportunity coming up in the next couple of weeks and we’re going to rely on everyone, and I want everyone to be as confident as possible. So, I’m not going to say.”

The Celtic Star: How do you feel now that the season’s coming to an end and your retirement’s approaching?

Joe Hart: “A question that I’ve been asked a lot, but I don’t feel any different. I feel like for potentially a couple of months or maybe even a couple of years, I’ll still feel the same after I’m finished. I’m so programmed to be in the moment that I’m in that I don’t think I can just turn it off. I think it’ll take a long time. I think I’ll still feel like a player in two or three years time. Maybe, I don’t know. I’m not willing to ease off. I want to be 100% and then deal with the madness after.”

The Celtic Star: Are you confident you can etch yourself into Celtic history one last time?

Joe Hart: “I’m going to try. I’m going to do everything I possibly can and leave it all on the line. That’s what I’ve done my whole career and sometimes it’s worked, sometimes it hasn’t.”

Q: You came into Celtic having played at a lot of big clubs. Is there anything that, in hindsight, that’s taken you by surprise by joining Celtic?

Joe Hart: “Not by surprise, I’ve just been pleasantly surprised the whole way. The boys that I spoke to, anyone associated to Celtic, when I was trying to get up here, the main line that I kept hearing was ‘you don’t know what it is until you’re there’. And about the fourth time of someone I really respect saying that I was like ‘you know what, I’m just going to stop thinking and do exactly that. I’m going to find out for myself’.

“I do strongly remember the Champions League anthem. When I was at City, we had some bad relationships with UEFA so for a lot of my time, the Champions League anthem was booed, and you’ll hear it booed now for reasons. I think we were right, I think we were hard done by, there was something with Yaya [Touré] and with Moscow. But then, the Champions League anthem when it first got played when we played Real Madrid, my whole body shook. Electricity went through me, and my eyes welled up. The pure excitement and passion of the place all the time just makes me smile, makes me happy and makes me grateful to be here.”

Q: Was there a specific moment that you can recall during your time at Celtic when you really started to fall in love with the club?

Joe Hart: “I think being part of the rebuild after Covid, in terms of the allocations in the stadium. It was 30%, then 60%, then when we finally had 100% in the stadium, knowing that could’ve been filled so many times over was really humbling. And I can’t get away from Livingston away. For everything it is, it’s a plastic pitch, it’s a tough game. But the fact that there are 4/5 Celtic fans and the atmosphere is electric. This great place [Celtic Park] speaks for itself, but Livi away will live long in the memory, really fondly as well.”

Q: Does Celtic top Manchester City in terms of a mental feeling?

Joe Hart: “I got a lot of love and respect everywhere that I’ve been. They’ve always been different points in my life. Even the moments that were tough, they were still moments that I lived and enjoyed. I’m never going to compare because like I said, I’ve got too much respect but mentally, it’s still a ride. You see someone very confident and assured in what they’re doing but I’m just a normal guy. I understand I’ve got a lot of weight on my shoulders, sometimes second guessing myself, sometimes feeling like I can’t do wrong, I’m all of it so mentally and emotionally, I’ve loved that ride and I enjoy that feeling. There’s been a lot of highs and I’ve loved them.”

Jessica Elliott

“I’ll always be available to Celtic,” Joe Hart

By Editor – 24th Apr 2024, 10:49pm

“I’ll always be available to Celtic,” Joe Hart

By Editor – 24th Apr 2024, 10:49pm

https://celticshorts.com/2024/04/ill-always-be-available-to-celtic-joe-hart/

Joe Hart will NOT pursue a coaching career, as revealed exclusively to Celtic fan media, including Celtic Shorts, on Sunday evening at Celtic Park.

Prior to the ‘Evening with Joe Hart’ event, Hart spoke to fan media, and Celtic Shorts was in attendance.

It doesn’t necessarily do it for me

When the Celtic goalkeeper was asked if he is interested in going into goalkeeping coaching, Hart said: “No, I haven’t taken any coaching badges. That was quite a conscious decision. I know that the coaching line, or the management, is ingrained in a lot of people but it doesn’t necessarily do it for me.

“I want to help, I want to give back, but I feel like there are different ways I can help. I’ll always be available to Celtic if they ever need to lean on me for anything I can help with. I’ve made the manager aware of that, I’ve made the club aware of that but physically, coaching a specific team isn’t something I’m looking to do.”

Perhaps Joe will become a pundit?

It’s been the talk amongst supporters on if Hart would turn goalkeeping coach, but with this news, begs the question of what will come next for the footballing legend. It would certainly be interesting to see him become a pundit if that’s the road he chooses to go down!

It would be interesting to see him around the club though, so I’m sure we can all be happy with the news that he has promised to be there should we ever need to call on him.

Since arriving in Glasgow in 2021, Hart has made sure his name is a part of Celtic history after helping Ange Postecoglou’s side to a historic eighth domestic treble.

Last year was pretty special

Hart said: “Last year was pretty special. Stood at the end of the season with all three trophies, that was a special day and something that I really enjoyed. I’m a guy who lives in the moment.

“I’m going to try [and be a part of Celtic history one last time]. I’m going to do everything I possibly can and leave it all on the line.”

Everything Joe Hart said to the Celtic fan media on Sunday night will be published on Thursday morning on our sister site, The Celtic Star, so watch out for that.

Jessica Elliott

Joe Hart will NOT pursue a coaching career, as revealed exclusively to Celtic fan media, including Celtic Shorts, on Sunday evening at Celtic Park.

Prior to the ‘Evening with Joe Hart’ event, Hart spoke to fan media, and Celtic Shorts was in attendance.

It doesn’t necessarily do it for me

Perhaps Joe will become a pundit?

It would be interesting to see him around the club though, so I’m sure we can all be happy with the news that he has promised to be there should we ever need to call on him.

Since arriving in Glasgow in 2021, Hart has made sure his name is a part of Celtic history after helping Ange Postecoglou’s side to a historic eighth domestic treble.

Last year was pretty special

Hart said: “Last year was pretty special. Stood at the end of the season with all three trophies, that was a special day and something that I really enjoyed. I’m a guy who lives in the moment.

“I’m going to try [and be a part of Celtic history one last time]. I’m going to do everything I possibly can and leave it all on the line.”

Everything Joe Hart said to the Celtic fan media on Sunday night will be published on Thursday morning on our sister site, The Celtic Star, so watch out for that.

Jessica Elliott

Criticism, mockery, self-belief & trophies – the Joe Hart story

Celtic’s Joe Hart at full time during a cinch Premiership match between Celtic and St Mirren at Celtic ParkImage source, SNS

Image caption,

Scottish Cup final: Celtic v Rangers

Where: Hampden Park, Glasgow When: Saturday, 25 May Time: 15:00 BST

How to follow: Watch live on BBC One Scotland, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app; listen to live radio commentary on Sportsound; follow live updates

Thomas Duncan

BBC Sport Scotland

Published

23 May 2024

There were many moments in his penultimate week as a professional footballer when you could see just how much Joe Hart loved being at Celtic.

From emotional interviews to walking up the Celtic Way with the Scottish Premiership trophy in his hand and a broad grin across his face.

From emerging from the tunnel at half-time in the club’s final league game of the season to see a giant Tifo of himself and just standing in awe of it.

To his address to the fans on the pitch afterwards.

“Guys, I’ve never felt professionally special like that before in my life,” he said.

“Myself, my family, from the bottom of my heart I adore every single one of you and everyone associated with this football club.”

From a man who won the Premier League title twice – including one amid the delirium of the Sergio Aguero moment – and played 75 times for England, it’s quite the statement.

But the truth is Hart needed Celtic. His career story before arriving in Glasgow began with a soaring rise to the top of the English game before a crude fall.

He said in 2020, external when a free agent that “I just want to be a big part of a club and give my all to them. That’s all that burns through me”.

Celtic gave him that and more. Six trophies and counting, a whole lot of love, and a happy ending to a bumpy career. A career that will end with Saturday’s Scottish Cup final against Rangers at Hampden.

From phenomenon to heavy fall

So what of Hart’s legacy? As a player he scaled English football from Shrewsbury Town to Manchester City, and with it came trophies and four Golden Glove awards.

At his pomp he was a shot-stopping force of nature. Lionel Messi, no less, called him “a phenomenon” in 2015 after an astonishing display in the Champions League against Barcelona.

But just as critical as the saves in people’s impressions of Hart, was his character. His seemingly bulletproof confidence, his child-like grin as he berated and joked with strikers.

However, it was what came after which threatened to define him. Pep Guardiola’s rejection of all of that – and particularly his distribution – when he arrived at City clearly shattered his confidence.

It culminated in a miserable Euro 2016 campaign, when mistakes against Wales then Iceland made him one of the faces of England’s most humiliating moment.

Hart became a figure of criticism, mockery and, perhaps worst of all, pity. A cautionary tale to the next generation of players not to get too big for their boots.

Media caption,

After drifting around Torino, West Ham United, Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur, his career was petering out.

One of the things that will define Hart is the way he addressed what happened to him in those years.

In 2020, he opened up about struggling with his mental health throughout his career, while always keeping his own struggles in perspective with others.

“I didn’t really know how to handle tough moments, you just want to bat everyone away,” he said. “Like, ‘I’m fine, leave me, I’m fine just leave me’.”

Through maturity and the help of a sports psychologist he says he learned to manage those periods better.

“I used to get chipped and get angry, now I get chipped and say well done,” Hart joked after last week’s 3-2 win over St Mirren.

Resilience marks final chapter

Hart’s final chapter came when Ange Postecoglou asked if he fancied coming up to Celtic in 2021.

The club had a goalkeeping crisis the year before as they lost the league to Rangers with three different men playing between the sticks.

Postecoglou picked up the pieces and wanted stability.

“I just felt he’s still got a bit to prove,” the Australian later explained.

“He’s said himself, he needed a bit of love, and I knew he’d get it at this club. I knew the supporters would embrace him and he loved it here with the group.”

Postecoglou was proved right. Hart went on to great success, including a domestic treble last season, and third Scottish title in a row this term.

It has not been easy. Questions have always lingered about his ability to play out from the back, and there have been mistakes.

Even in his retirement announcement, he hinted he wanted to end questions about him potentially being replaced this summer by announcing he was quitting anyway.

But there have also been huge saves and, most prominently, leadership coupled with passion and total commitment.

Media caption,

“The guy’s been unbelievable since the day he walked in the door,” club captain Callum McGregor said.

“He’s been a real pillar of strength. He came in and set the tone and I’m buzzing we can give him the send off he deserves.”

So as Hart prepares to play his final game, against Rangers in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday, how do we sum up such a rich career?

It was encapsulated in his role in getting Celtic to Hampden, in the shootout against Aberdeen in the semi-final last month.

Hart had the confidence to step up and take what could have been the winning penalty. He missed, with a smile – or perhaps grimace – and a wink to go with it.

However, he had the final word by flinging himself to his left to save Killian Phillips’ effort to send Celtic through. Resilience again.

“Whatever has happened, the one thing he has always had as part of his make-up is confidence,” Hart’s former Manchester City team-mate Shay Given told BBC Sport.

“You need to have that self-belief to have a career like he has done.

“As a goalkeeper you get plenty knocks, not just from your managers but when you make mistakes. It is a lonely position because you are out there on your own.

“Joe has made mistakes, like we all have. But it is how you respond and he has been brilliant at keeping a level head through good and bad times – that has never changed.”

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“I’ll always be available to Celtic,” Joe Hart

Criticism, mockery, self-belief & trophies – the Joe Hart story

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