Many Happy Returns to Our Sacred Hart

Celtic have today wished our goalkeeper Joe Hart a Happy Birthday. The big man has been an absolute pleasure since he stepped into the number one jersey at Celtic Park, after a season of watching goalkeepers through our fingers and dismayed eyes during the 2020/21 campaign.

When Vasilis Barkas couldn’t cut the mustard, all Celtic needed was someone to do the basics right, yet that never transpired as we watched the flailing Scott Bain and the young and inexperienced Conor Hazard take the gloves on different occasions, and not manage to provide that security that was so lacking at the backline.

Some within the Celtic support often belittle and berate Joe Hart and claim that we need a new goalkeeper to help us improve – especially in the UEFA Champions League group stage. An assertion that isn’t lost on me, but those folk often fail to factor in just how bad we were not that long ago in the goalkeeping department.

Our Sacred Hart has come in and provided security and an experienced head and calmness to boot. He has been tasked with playing out from the back by Ange Postecoglou, and to my knowledge, there has only been a couple of hiccups in that regard. The time against RB Leipzig and the one at Ibrox in January spring to mind. But it’s par for the course these days in football. Just look at Alisson at Liverpool… great ‘keeper and phenomenal with his feet – but also a bombscare at times!

Turning 36-years-old today, he’s probably at the perfect age for a goalkeeper and is in his prime years as a netminder. Just look at Craig Gordon and how he managed to play well into his late thirties after thinking his career was over. Joe is no different and will feel he still has so much to offer this current Celtic team. We rely on him week-in-week-out and Ange knows what he’s got in Joe: a leader of men.

Happy Birthday, Joe Hart!