Chris Sutton reacts to surprise Celtic announcement
Soccer Football - Scottish League Cup - Final - Rangers v Celtic - Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - February 26, 2023 Celtic's Joe Hart celebrates after winning the Scottish League Cup REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Chris Sutton was quick to react to Joe Hart announcing his retirement from goalkeeping- fortunately it will be at the end of this season and not immediately!
The former England keeper has been a key factor in two seasons of unexpected success at Celtic with hopefully further trophies and acclaim to come before this season is completed.
After 138 Celtic appearances Hart has decided that this will be his final campaign, when July comes around there will be no pre-season slog of throwing his body into another gruelling campaign.
Turning 37 in April it will be all over for Hart at the end of this campaign which will hopefully be concluded at Hampden in the final of the Scottish Cup.
Sad to see Joe Hart retiring at the end of the season. He’s had a brilliant career. Top goalkeeper, top guy??
— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) February 22, 2024
After the disasters of the 20/21 season when Vasilis Barkas, Scott Bain and Conor Hazard shared goalkeeping duties without and sense of conviction Ange Postecoglou turned to Hart after Barkas and Bain had played in his three opening matches with defending a clear issue.
From third choice at Spurs Hart brought authority and leadership to a Celtic side that lost three of their first seven SPFL matches but ended up lifting the SPFL title as well as the League Cup.
Last season Hart made it a clean sweep of honours with a domestic treble to match his medal collection from Manchester City.
There will now be no speculating over Hart’s intentions with the guessing game centred on Celtic’s Recruitment Team to see who they come up with the take Hart’s place with Bain or Ben Siegrist highly unlikely to be contenders.