JOE HART was on the verge of tears as he thanked fans inside Celtic Park during his last league game as a professional footballer.
The former England number, 37, one announced in February that he would be retiring at the end of the season, but has already landed himself a new job with the BBC.
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) May 18, 2024
"He's a leader"…
A banner honouring Joe Hart was unveiled at half-time in his last game at Celtic Parkpic.twitter.com/0rHxJWwBHb
Hart walked out for the final time at Celtic Park this afternoon as the Hoops saw off St Mirren 3-2.
Before the game Hart was honoured by the fans inside the packed stadium as they cheered him onto the pitch.
And in a classy touch that left Hart emotional, a pocket of the ground displayed a tifo of the goalkeeper during halt-time.
The display showed an image of Hart alongside the words: “Super Joe Hart“.
The tribute left the former Man City and Tottenham shot-stopper looking teary-eyed.
Following Celtic’s victory Hart spoke to the fans inside the ground and thanked them for their unwavering support.
He said: “I’ve never felt, professionally, that special before in my entire life.
“From myself and my family, I absolutely adore every single one of you and everyone associated with this football club.
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Shrewsbury, 2002-06, Appearances: 58
Manchester City, 2006-18, Appearances: 348
Tranmere (Loan), 2006, Appearances: 6
Blackpool (Loan), 2007, Appearances: 5
Birmingham (Loan), 2009-10, Appearances: 41
Torino (Loan), 2016-17, Appearances: 37
West Ham (Loan), 2017-18, Appearances: 23
Burnley, 2018-20, Appearances: 24
Tottenham, 2020-21, Appearances: 10
Celtic, 2021-Present, Appearances: 138
England, 2008-17, Appearances: 75
Trophies:
“It’s such a special place. I was asked yesterday ‘how do you explain this to people?’
“I don’t want to explain this to anyone. This is not a club that needs explaining. This is a club that speaks for itself.
“You guys are absolutely phenomenal. It’s part of you. You make me feel so special and humble.
“Thank you. I absolutely love it. Thank you so much for having me.”
Hart’s career isn’t quite done yet with one final game left to play as a pro.
Celtic face Rangers next weekend in the Scottish Cup final as Hart looks to cement a league and cup double as his swan song in Scotland.
Following that, Hart will hang up his gloves before swapping the pitch for the studio in his first post-retirement role this summer.
The star will be a pundit for the BBC’s coverage of Euro 2024.
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