Joe Hart has reflected on retiring at Celtic.
The Englishman’s love affair with the Hoops that no one could’ve seen coming. Since calling an end to his career at Celtic Park, he has often spoken publicly about his love for the club.
Hart assumed a leadership role under both Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers, winning seven trophies in three years.
One moment in particular stood out to him upon his departure: the club offering him a dinner with supporters.
👀 Joe Hart fancies being in with the Green Brigade one day!
Joe Hart on Celtic’s ‘An Evening With Joe Hart’ event
Hart said on his retirement on the High Performance Podcast: “I just wanted people to know that, even though I was finishing, I wanted to finish strong, and then did finish strong.
“[We] got into a beautiful flow. The team really clicked.
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“Brendan really got us playing how we wanted to play. We got who we were, and we started to really perform.
“And the buzz of the club, like… no matter how many trophies they win, when you’re playing well, it’s an absolute buzz.
“The drums were going, the fans were singing, the flares were going off. And it was just an incredible feeling.
“Then, they asked me to do ‘A Night With Joe Hart,’ to which I immediately said [no], because I said when I wanted to retire that I didn’t want to talk about it.
I want to do what I need to do, say what I need to say, do the press that day, and then we’ll deal with everything else after the season. Because the team comes first; winning the league comes first.
“They asked me, ‘Would you do a night with Joe Hart with about a month to go?’ I said no.
“And then, I said, ‘Do you know what? Scrap that. You’re willing to do that for me?’ They were like, ‘We’d love to do that for you.’
“I said, ‘That’s amazing. That’s absolutely beautiful.’
“And I don’t feel comfortable doing it, but I’m going to do it, because for [Celtic] to even come here and ask me to do that is special.”
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Joe Hart’s Celtic career
Fans may remember when Hart made a crucial save on his debut and received a raucous applause from the crowd. From then on, he was a fan favourite.
Postecoglou guided an unfancied Celtic team a League and League Cup double in his first season, and Hart was a central figure throughout.
They went on to win a treble in his second season, competing in the Champions League for the first time in five years. Rodgers replaced Postecoglou when he left for Tottenham.
In what would be his final year playing, Hart took a penalty in the Scottish Cup semi-final shootout and missed – but the team recovered to bail him out.
In the end, his farewell was an emotional one, and he has since talked Celtic up as a pundit.
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