He may not hit the headlines as a goalscorer but Joe Hart was undoubtedly one of the heroes of Celtic’s 3-0 victory over Hearts on Saturday.
The veteran goalkeeper made crucial saves in both halves to deny the Edinburgh side a foothold in the game, something noted by rival boss Steven Naismith after the match.
Hart has been in excellent form in the second half of this season. He seems determined to retire as a real Celtic folk hero and is giving everything to help secure two final bits of silverware in his storied career.
The fans enjoy his presence and he undoubtedly loves the supporters. Today, the stadium was rocking and the atmosphere helped the team to the three points.
Hart mentioned this in his post-match interview, making it clear he was blown away by the noise and colour on display at Celtic Park.
Joe Hart says ‘wow’ to Celtic fans
Speaking to Celtic TV, the goalkeeper said when handing Kyogo Furuhashi his man of the match award: “It wasn’t perfect at the start but it was a good performance. This man’s goals at big moments for us – he’s got a bit of a knack for doing that, it’s very important.
“I thought we grew into the game. I thought the atmosphere was electric. Wow. You just can’t get enough of that. It’s one game, we got the job done today and we move on.”
Asked about squad unity and next week’s visit of Rangers: “No doubt, it’s a squad effort. It’s amazing. You can just see the energy that the boys coming off the bench bring. The competition for places, it just drives you on as a team. You can’t win anything without a squad.”
Joe Hart is on the verge of something special at Celtic
Winning trophies with the Bhoys is always sweet for players, but you get the sense that earning medals this season would be especially satisfying for Hart.
If he grabs another title and Scottish Cup he’ll take his total honours at Celtic to seven in three seasons, which is incredible. He’s had a fantastic run in the Bhoys’ goal and many will miss him when he hangs up his gloves.
There may be a few tears at Hampden on May 25th. But, for now, he is laser-focused on performing at the top of his game – as evidenced on Saturday against Hearts.