JOE HART celebrates his 37th birthday today as he prepares to bring down the curtain on three memorable years at the champions.
The 75 times-capped England international No.1 has decided to call it a day after arriving in a cut-price £1million deal from Spurs in August 2021.
Hart answered Ange Postecoglou’s SOS to take over the problem position after £4.5million Vasilas Barkas had flopped so spectacularly following his move from AEK Athens the previous summer.
NO FLAGGING…Joe Hart has gone from strength to strength since his arrival at Celtic.
The blundering Greek was ditched after just one game – the 1-1 draw with FC Midtjylland when he was to blame for the Danes’ equaliser – and Scott Bain took over for the return Champions League qualifier and the opening league game of the campaign.
The Hoops lost both encounters 2-1 and Hart, languishing at the London club as back-up to French World Cup winner Hugo Lloris, was targeted by Postecoglou as he put his revamped Celtic side together.
The former Manchester City netminder was recruited on August 2 and made a quickfire debut 48 hours later in the Europa League qualifier against FK Jablonec.
Kyogo Furuhashi scored his first goal for the club as he kick-started the Hoops’ revival with a 4-2 victory.
Afterwards, posting on Instagram, the new netminder promised Celtic fans: “Delighted, honoured, proud, to name but a few of the feelings I felt tonight making my @celticfc debut.
START OF SOMETHNG GOOD…Joe Hart’s Instagram post from August 2021.
“It’s been a crazy few days but it’s all been worth it.
“Thank you for the welcome to your special club, I promise the rust will wear off soon and we can push on together.”
The towering shotstopper has been as good as his word with some solid, consistent and confidence-inspiring performances since that evening in the Czech Republic.
Just over four months after joining the club, Hart lifted his first trophy in Glasgow when he played a key role in the 2-1 League Cup Final success over Hibs at Hampden six days before Christmas.
The Premiership title was secured in the 1-1 draw with Dundee United at Tannadice on May 11 2022 and the super-fit Englishman, of course, helped the Hoops to a world record eighth domestic treble last season.
GLOVE AFFAIR…Joe Hart celebrates another Celtic success.
Hart also joined Celtic legend Kenny Dalglish as part of football royalty during the extraordinary clean sweep of major British honours.
The popular star won all three major English trophies with Manchester City and he matched the Parkhead hero by lifting the Scottish Cup in the side’s 3-1 triumph over Inverness Caley Thistle on June 3 on a sunshine-filled Hampden.
CQN and all our readers wish the likeable Hart a happy 37th birthday and we hope his last action as a Celtic goalkeeper will be to pick up another honour in the national competition to complete a league and Cup double on the iconic date of May 25.
A shut-out tomorrow in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen would go a long way to realising the dream.
