Joe Hart: Celtic goalkeeper says now is right time to retire from football – Sky Sports
Football
Joe Hart on retiring from Celtic at the age of 37 after third successive Scottish Premiership title win: “I want to finish strong, in a special place, in a special club… I felt like this was the right moment”
Digital Football Journalist @Ronnabe
Saturday 18 May 2024 16:47, UK
Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart insisted now is the right time to retire from football despite calls from the Sky Sports pundits to reconsider his decision to bow out.
The 37-year-old played his last league game in Celtic’s 3-2 win over St Mirren before lifting the Scottish Premiership trophy alongside captain Scott McGregor, and he will now likely feature in the final match of his career against Rangers in the Scottish Cup final next weekend.
The former England goalkeeper has played more in his three seasons at Celtic Park than in the previous five combined, but after his penultimate game he told Sky Sports he had wanted to retire on a high – with the chance to lift a second trophy in a week next Saturday the potential perfect send-off.
“I got to a point, I had a very good 20s, my football was really good but then I struggled a bit in terms of my place,” he said. “Then I got this opportunity then which I couldn’t turn down.
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“But I didn’t know how it was going to play out, I wanted to commit for the three years and give everything. I got to a point in my life where I was potentially on the way out and got another opportunity. I don’t want to push that luck, I want to finish strong, in a special place, in a special club.
“That’s just me – it’s my time to move aside and let someone else have some fun. It’s definitely not physical, I feel fine.
“But I felt like this was the right moment. I felt really uncomfortable knowing but not telling the manager or the lads. I wanted to say it, and for everyone to understand that I was doing it and make sure I worked hard and was at my peak when I finished.”
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Hart revealed he had first broken the news to goalkeeping coach Stevie Woods following their win at St Mirren in the Scottish Cup in February, before making the news public 11 days later.
Telling his colleagues and the backroom staff at Celtic had proven particularly difficult, he added, bringing the curtain down on a professional career spanning almost 20 years. He was clearly tearful during Saturday’s match, too, when a large Tifo was unveiled from the home fans at Celtic Park which read ‘Super, Super Joe’.
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“I couldn’t tell [Woods] at first,” he said. “I was crying my eyes out, he thought there was some kind of family emergency. I eventually managed to tell him and he was shocked but very understanding.
“What a football club, I’m truly honoured to have played for it, it’s a sad day but it’s the right time. We were able to smile today but we’ve got a lot of work to do this week.”
On the Tifo, he added: “I didn’t even know! I wasn’t looking for it, then I saw it. This place, honestly – they know how to get to you. I didn’t want anything.
“There’s two different people, there’s a guy who just came from Shrewsbury and just loves his family and his children, and then there’s that lunatic who wants to play football, fight and get stuck in.”
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers paid tribute to his outgoing No 1, and said he would personally miss the experienced goalkeeper’s personality as much as his quality on the pitch.
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“Today was such a great way for him to finish his league career,” he said. “He loves every second of it. I’ll miss him, just his whole mentality.
“He’s one of that dying breed of player, the give everything every single day and are real leaders in the changing room and they produce. He’s got one more game to go and hopefully we can give him that final send off.
“Joe will be a huge miss when he goes but normally what you find is then other people step up to take on that privilege of being a leader at Celtic. Hopefully some players we can bring in will add to that too.”
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Former Scotland striker James McFadden, speaking ahead of kick-off, felt Hart’s decision had been premature and that the goalkeeper could have extended his career at Celtic Park.
He said: “Joe’s had a tremendous career. I know people doubt whether you can come in and have an impact as you get older, but he’s brought his experience.
“You can see how much he enjoyed being back at a big club which was winning trophies, he brought that winning mentality with him.
“He’s a big character as well, you can see it in how he plays. He’s the same on the training ground, in the dressing room, he’s probably enjoyed it more than maybe he would have expected.
“You see some of the saves he makes, this season in particular he’s reminded everyone just how good he is.
“He’s probably made the decision to retire too soon, for me. He’s shown this season he’s still a top goalkeeper.”
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