Joe Hart: You couldn't write this fairytale ending to my career! | OneFootball

If Celtic fans discovered that Steven Spielberg had scripted Joe Hart’s last season, there would be little surprise.

The Hoops goalkeeper announced earlier this year that he would be calling time on his career as a professional footballer come the end of this campaign.

And the 37-year-old signed off an incredible playing career with a league and cup double.

Not only that, but Celtic sealed the Scottish Cup with a dramatic last-minute winner against Rangers.

Speaking after the Hampden triumph, Joe Hart said: “I’m just really proud to be part of a fantastic team that’s been pushed to the limit and we’ve come out on top, which is a great feeling.

“I felt it was the right decision to announce that I was going to finish. Nothing was promised at that point in the season, but I just wanted to take the pressure off the club.

“Everyone’s got behind it and understood what I was trying to say, and we’ve just gone really hard and pushed, and we’ve come up with some sensational results, and we’ve got over the line.

“It was a tight game, such an edgy game and there was very little in it. I thought Rangers were good and made it tough for us, and it’s a 90th minute goal – you can’t write this, can you! And I thought we played out really well at the end and got the result.”

As his named reverberated around the National Stadium, Joe Hart soaked up the moment, applauding the Celtic fans who were singing his praises.

After three years at the club, Joe Hart leaves with three league titles, two League Cup and two Scottish Cup medals, and many memories made over 153 appearances for the club.

And from the moment he arrived at Celtic until the final whistle at Hampden on Saturday, his only focus has been on helping the team.

“That’s the only reason I’ve got myself in the career that I’ve got because I know I’m part of a team,” he said.

“I feel that, as a goalkeeper, that’s a mentality that’s inside me, it’s how I work on a day-to-day basis. I walk round like a goalkeeper, I make decisions like a goalkeeper but we can only win it as a team.

“I just do my best to lock it up at the back and make people safe, and allow the boys to express themselves.

“I stand here with the medals, but to get to where I’ve got to, I have an absolutely immense family, a real close-knit bunch of friends, and I thank everyone who’s made me feel really welcome at the club, and at my previous clubs.

“Football’s a special place and you find a lot of special people, and I feel really privileged to be a part of it.

“To feel welcomed, to feel loved and for my family to feel embraced – we’ve just felt everything that this club has to offer and it’s truly special.

“You’ve got to work hard to get that, you’ve got to work hard embed yourself with this because it’s not a stupid place, it doesn’t just give things out easily but it recognises people who are just willing to put themselves on the line, wear this badge with pride and honour, and try their best to represent it.”

Fixtures

Celtic Vs. Rangers - Sat, May 25th 2024, 15:00 Final score: 1 - 0 Match Report | Highlights