JOE HART is determined to let the good times roll at Celtic in the new season.
The 35-year-old 75 times-capped England international keeper was an outstanding success after joining the Hoops in a bargain £1million switch from Spurs in August last year.
The Parkhead side toiled to solve their No.1 problem with £4.5million Vasilis Barkas unconvincing following his arrival from AEK Athens in August 2020 while back-up Scott Bain struggled for consistency.
SAFE HANDS…Joe Hart gets down to the hard work at Lennoxtown.
Hart was brought in and resurrected his career in Glasgow after a year in the shadows in London and a less-than-memorable spell at Burnley.
He became a key player and starred in the silverware breakthrough triumph in the Premier Sports League Cup Final victory over Hibs at Hampden six days before Christmas.
And the one-time Manchester City netminder was in charge as Postecoglou’s men surged to an extraordinary title win after limping in 25 points off the pace the previous year.
Hart was back in action last Monday when he was one of the first in at Lennoxtown for pre-season training – although he insisted he would NOT be hitting the ground running as he prepared for a new campaign home and abroad.
The athletic shotstopper, who still has two years to run on his deal, said: “I loved the break, it’s always nice going into a holiday after a successful season. It’s an opportunity to be a different person and have a different focus, but we are back now and ready to go.
A PARADE OF KEEPERS…Joe Hart leads the way with Scott Bain, Benji Siegrist and Ross Doohan in training.
“For a goalkeeper, it’s about getting your body ready to go and getting used to hitting the floor.
“It’s amazing how your hands have five weeks of not being punished and you need to build them back up and re-programme the brain to get yourself in a frame of mind to get in front of the ball.
“Believe it or not, that’s not a natural thing for a human, but we drill it into us as goalkeepers. However, that slight percentage goes away during the summer, so it’s all about programming that back into your head.
“Pre-season is different for us. I’m a fit guy, but I’m purpose-built to be a goalkeeper, so if you put me out running then you wouldn’t see me again.
“We need a different sharpness, so the days of everyone running into the woods and running are gone.”
FANFARE…Joe Hart is already a firm favourite with the Celtic support.
Hart, one of SEVENTEEN recruits in Postecoglou’s debut campaign, told Celtic TV: “The manager has his way that he wants us to play.
“Last year, like a lot of us, he was brand new, but we bought into it very quickly and the trust grew throughout the season.
“We know exactly where we stand, he knows us and we know him, so, hopefully, that will put us in a good place.
“I don’t think we can get away from the fact that the only way we had success last year was because we were united and worked so hard – and the manager made that point every single time.
“The analysis was always about how hard we worked and how we didn’t give the opposition the chance to breathe.
ROARING SUCCESS…Joe Hart with the Premiership silverware after the 6-0 win over Motherwell on May 14.
“I’m super aware of not coming away from that and that comes with age as I know I don’t have as long as I once had in this game, so I’m going to try and get every little thing I can from it.
“That comes from working hard, good team spirit and mentality, but we’re going to try and have a good time while doing it.”
Hart and Co go into competitive action for the first time in the new season when the Premiership kicks off against Aberdeen on Flag Day at Parkhead a month today.
