It was fantastic to see Joe Hart back at Celtic Park on Sunday as he returned to the club as a guest to watch the derby against Rangers.
Supporters at the stadium were delighted to see the iconic goalkeeper before the match, a good omen ahead of thrashing Philippe Clement’s dire outfit 3-0 in the Scottish Premiership.
However, what you may have missed if you were in attendance and not watching on TV was Hart’s moment with his former Celtic teammates in the tunnel before kick-off.
Sky Sports captured him firing up the match squad as they returned to the dressing room from their pre-match warmup, no doubt a motivating moment for them given how popular Hart was within the squad.
You can watch the video below after the broadcaster uploaded the clip to social media.
Kasper Schmeichel already filling in nicely for Joe Hart
Hart’s retirement had the potential to leave a gaping hole in the Celtic team but the manager has done superbly to put in place a viable succession plan.
Kasper Schmeichel, although not having too many saves to make, has been impressive since joining the club. His distribution is elite and he’s already built up a functional rapport with his defensive line.
When you consider he has yet to concede a single goal in the Premiership, his Celtic start couldn’t have gone much better.
Celtic leadership is clear for everyone to see
Hart had established himself as a key voice in the dressing room, too, but it’s obvious that there are no problems with squad leadership in his absence.
Captain Callum McGregor remains a stellar talent setting an example for his teammates to follow with others such as Greg Taylor, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston also giving the team a strong presence.
Tougher tests lie ahead this season but Celtic are motoring along nicely.
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