This season spells not only the end of Joe Hart’s time with Celtic but the end of the legendary former England goalkeeper’s career.
After over 20 years in the game, the Celtic shot-stopper has decided to hang up his gloves to close the career of one of the most iconic figures in world football.
This season has undoubtedly been one of Hart’s best in a Celtic jersey and the fans paid tribute to him by awarding him the Celtic Supporters’ Association Player of the Year award.
Joe Hart humbled by Celtic award
In an address to The Celtic Supporters’ Association programme for their 74th Annual Rally, Hart was truly humbled by the award and paid tribute to his teammates, managers and the Celtic fans for his time at the club.
Hart said, “I am delighted to receive this fantastic recognition from the Celtic Supporters’ Association.
“It is very humbling to receive this award and it something I am very grateful for.
“Although this award is given to me personally, all my teammates, the manager and the backroom staff are a huge part of this.
“The culture we have at the club is fantastic. The work ethic we demonstrate is so important and the closeness and unity we enjoy all mean that any success is a ream collective one and earned by us all.
“We have worked hard this season to bring our fans success and we are hopefully close to delivering more silverware for the club.
“It has been a real privilege to be part of Celtic for the part three years and a massive part of this period has been the wonderful Celtic support.
“The reception that our fans give us both home and away is quite phenomenal and it really is a joy to play in front of our fans.
“With such a massive support all over the world, I know the commitment which fans make to come and see us from far and wide and as players, we will never take that for granted.
“We know the sacrifices you make in giving us this great support and we are so grateful for everything our fans bring us.
“Celtic is such a special club with such a special history. It is a unique footballing institution and in the past few years, through this great club, I have created so many memories which I will treasure forever.
“It has been a tremendous honour to have played for Celtic and my time has been characterised by great players, top managers and fantastic supporters. I could not have hoped for any more.
“I will always sincerely cherish my time with the club and I will always be like you, a Celtic supporter.”
Joe Hart’s Celtic honours
We have discussed before how Joe Hart is one of only two Celtic players to have won every domestic honour on both sides of the border.
Kenny Dalglish managed this feat at Celtic and Liverpool and now Hart joins Dalglish in the record books as the second player in Celtic’s history to achieve that feat.
Winning two league titles, one FA Cup and two English League Cups during his time at Manchester City, Hart added to those titles during his three-season stay at Celtic.
A treble-winner, Hart now has three Scottish league titles, two League Cups and two Scottish Cups to his name and he will undoubtedly do down as a huge icon, if not a legend, amongst the Celtic support. [Transfermarkt]
Now that he has made his final appearance in a Celtic jersey, Hart is likely to go now and enjoy a well-earned rest before he goes on duty with the BBC this summer to take up his punditry role for the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany.