Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers knows he needs to source a new goalkeeper this summer after Joe Hart’s retirement from professional football.
It is starting to sink in that Hart is no longer on the books at Parkhead; nevertheless, the passion and quality he brought to the table won’t be something the Irishman will be able to replicate in the market easily.
Nevertheless, the 37-year-old is already tied up in a busy summer as he takes on a high-profile punditry gig with the BBC covering EURO 2024.
Now, he has given some insight into why he hasn’t undertaken his coaching badges and what he hopes to provide in his new role.
Joe Hart’s hopes for his new career step after retiring at Celtic
Hart has played at the elite level for both Manchester City and England, so it is safe to assume he knows a thing or two about the rigours of performing under pressure.
That is before you even dissect his three years at Celtic, which, as supporters know, is a club with expectation levels in line with any of the top football clubs worldwide.
Writing in his new column for BBC Sport, Hart indicated he is in the punditry circuit to educate on the art of goalkeeping, shining a light on the variables concerned with being between the sticks that often gets overlooked.
He explained: “The reason I wanted to get into punditry is to educate people who are interested in goalkeeping, and hopefully I can help people understand the position a bit better.
“I’ll be trying my best to do that by giving a goalkeeper’s perspective, which can be very different to that of an outfield player. Sometimes when a goal goes in, the analysis you see on TV is about how the keeper should have done better, or has made a mistake. That can be the case, of course, and I am not here to protect goalkeepers from criticism, but part of the way I analysed my own performances during my career was to work out exactly why things happened.
“There is often a lot more to a goal than might first appear and I want to try to explore and explain that, and all the different variables that can affect the goalkeeper – from the positions they take up and how they work with their defenders, to the movement of the ball and everything else that is happening in front of them. These are things that might seem simple, but they really aren’t – and I am willing to go into that detail.”
Having made over 700 appearances during his playing career, Hart is well-placed to offer his expertise to the general public regarding what it takes to thrive on the big stage.
His presence at Celtic will be missed; however, both parties left the situation in an agreeable position, allowing Rodgers plenty of time to sort out a suitable replacement.
The former England international is set to grace TV screens across the country this summer and I’m sure he will offer some captivating analysis to a wide audience of football fans.