Joe Hart has stated that he’s “loving life” at Celtic as he marked his 450th league start with a class Instagram post today.
Hart has been one of Celtic’s biggest transfer success stories this season. Many questioned the logic around his arrival after a poor spell with Tottenham Hotspur. However, the former England number 1 has been a stalwart and quickly become the first choice at Parkhead.
And even though Saturday’s 0-0 draw at home to Livingston didn’t end in the way he would’ve wanted, he was still keen to celebrate his 450th start as he highlighted the milestone on social media. Even at this early stage, plenty of Celtic players have been quick to respond:
Hart has shown both on-field shot-stopping and leadership qualities. Even this early on, he’s already become one of the most valuable members of the dressing room.
It’s fair to say he’s been a massive improvement on last season’s options. The prospect of Vasilis Barkas, Scott Bain, or Conor Hazard even challenging him is a laughable one. It shows just how wrong some were over his transfer to begin with.
The former Manchester City title-winner has bagged 10 clean sheets in 20 appearances for the Hoops [Transfermarkt].
Joe Hart not slowing up anytime soon as Celtic form improves
What’s been so impressive about Hart is how sharp he’s been despite the fact he’s entering his senior years as a player. He may be 34 years of age, but the Englishman is still making superb reaction stops. You can see why he played at the highest level for so long.
Sure, there’s the odd error in there. What goalkeeper doesn’t have a mistake in them? It happens, and even then it’s been occurring more and more rarely in recent weeks.
Hart’s starting to rack up the shutouts he deserves. His clean sheer record was ropey in the first couple of months. Mainly due to defensive mistakes and the fact he was still learning to operate with a new backline. That’s another aspect that gets forgotten about when analysing his start to life here.
There’s no reason given the early signs that Hart can’t be the Celtic number 1 for years to come. He appears to be thriving in the game once again. A confident and inspired Joe Hart is an asset to any team.
Of course, nobody’s perfect. Many will be keen to talk about his vulnerabilities and question whether we still need better. But the Englishman is certainly winning more and more fans over.
Here’s hoping his maiden campaign in Glasgow ends with plenty of silverware. Regardless, he looks like he’ll be here for some time after that.
In other news, Report: Celtic willing to hold talks with rivals over Glasgow Derby away fan saga
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