Joe Hart is coming towards the end of an illustrious career in the game and the big goalkeeper is looking to have a first-class send off by winning the Scottish Premiership with Celtic and make it three consecutive League titles in a row. It would be some send off for a man that has got what the Hoops are all about from the day and minute Ange Postecoglou scooped him up for a bargain £1 million from his now employers, Tottenham Hotspur.
The Bhoys were completely devastated in the goalkeeping department after a big-money signing in the form of Vasilis Barkas and the second and third choice ‘keepers, Scott Bain and Conor Hazard respectively, couldn’t instil confidence in a Celtic defence and team more generally, that was really ropey at that time. Joe stepped into the breach and totally transformed the backline with his massive presence and along with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt, became the best defence in Scottish football.
That love of winning trophies is something that isn’t lost on Joe and the Englishman is astounded that the supporters in Paradise still feel that hunger and passion for silverware as if it were the first. Brendan Rodgers and his team are now heading to the final few matches of what has been a season of highs and lows and they now have the chance to finish in the biggest way of all by winning the League and a Scottish Cup to go with it.
When asked about what will be needed from now until the end of business in May, the former PremierLeague winner said: “What will it take in the remaining games? Just stay in our lane, stay focused. Drawing on the power of a club which is used to winning things and not being intimidated by that. Learning from that, with the boys who haven’t done it learning from the boys who have. Just encouraging people that we have some simple tasks ahead of us. We said it before the St Mirren game and we keep saying it, we don’t just rock up on Saturdays,” he said via Football Scotland.
“We work really hard through the week to have a way of playing, to have solutions when people do make it tough for us. So we just need to rely on the hard work we have done all season and come good at the right time.This is a big week. We have the Scottish Cup and you don’t want any pressure off.
“It was hard not being involved in the League Cup but we got beat fair and square at Kilmarnock and we had to move on. This is a competition we want to be involved in to the very end. We want to be there on 25 May. It was hard not being involved in the League Cup, but we got beaten fair and square at Killie.”
It’s going to be a mammoth effort from everyone at the club and the supporters know that they will need to help push the team over the line with this one after numerous struggles this season. Brendan Rodgers issued a rallying call ahead of our clash with St Mirren this past weekend and told us to hang in there and stick with the team – as if we needed reminding of course. Hart has praised the fanbase for knowing their role and keeping the players on their toes and ready for battle in what is crucial fixtures from now until the end of the campaign.
He said: “This place, I swear, to still have the feeling like you’ve never won anything. The hunger we feel through the stadium is immense. They understand their role and even when people show their discontent it’s not to bury us. It’s just to let us know the standard is constant and we felt it.
“We were aware that the first half probably wasn’t good enough but we know we can go up a level and keep going. Even with us not playing well we put a lot of pressure on them and put a lot of hard work in to free up the space. I thought the first two goals were exceptional, really important goals. Then Adam Idah summed up the impact we got from the bench with a big performance.”
Paul Gillespie
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