Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart has explained the meaning behind his private, ongoing Instagram joke with teammate Carl Starfelt.
Starfelt is one of many Hoops players to take to Instagram after games in which they come out victorious in. His posts will often be replied to by Hart with something along the lines of “Hellllo mate” [Instagram].
Joe and Carl have become vital cogs in the Ange Postecoglou machinery this season as they’ve both played key roles in ensuring we have the best goal against record in Scotland.
And the Englishman has finally explained his in-house joke with Starfelt as he put it down to how the Swedish international greets his fellow teammates.
Speaking on a class Valentine’s Day video on Celtic TV, Hart said the following when asked to pinpoint the happiest member of the squad: “Carl Starfelt. ‘Hello mate’ – that’s his standard greeting and it’s what he understood of English and being British before he came and he really brought that to the table.
“So he puts a smile on people’s faces. I don’t think he intends to, but he does put a smile on people’s faces!.”
Carl Starfelt has turned many opinions around on his Celtic career
Starfelt was often bung out to dry at the start of the season. Consistently being monitored for errors by the media and even some elements of the support, the Swede has fully turned his form around.
The former Rubin Kazan man simply wasn’t allowed the correct amount of time to settle. Given how quickly many others in the first-team squad have adjusted to life at Parkhead, many seemed to believe that a quick adjustment was the norm.
We simply didn’t take into consideration that it can be different for different individuals. Not everyone goes into a new job and gets it all right from the beginning. Starfelt clearly needed some time to get to know his teammates and settle into life in Scotland.
Now, he’s a different player from the one that arrived in Scotland. He’s aggressive, dominant in the air, and comfortable on the ball. He’s an Ange Postecoglou centre-back and probably one of the undroppables in the first-team squad at the moment.
There’s a reason he’s now keeping Christopher Jullien out of the starting XI. Starfelt has more than made a positive impression since the summer.
And it’s clear, going by Hart’s opinion on him, that he’s well liked by his teammates too.
In other news, Pat Bonner and Craig Levein talk up the alternative role Liam Scales can carry out at Celtic
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