Soccer Football - Scottish Cup - Final - Celtic v Rangers - Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - May 25, 2024 Celtic's Joe Hart reacts Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Ten days after his final match for Celtic Joe Hart has returned to the gym, sharing the news with his followers on Instagram.
While his former team-mates are on international duty or enjoying sunshine holidays across the Mediterranean it seems that the former England keeper can’t quite wind down and switch off.
Most players going into retirement would reward themselves with a long holiday in the sun but as Celtic fans have discovered over the last three years Hart is a little bit different.
He has been spotted at weddings in Croatia and Ibiza but the long holiday appears to have been resisted.
Chris Sutton was among those that called on Hart to reconsider his decision to retire but the ‘keeper seemed very certain that he’d be bowing out at the end of the 23/24 season.
If you had to script how to finish your career it would probably be as Hart managed it, winning two Glasgow Derbies and two winners’ medals in the final month.
After all of the emotion the enormity of his decision has taken root it seems that maintaining a high level of fitness is a priority.
Later this month there will be pictures of players returning for pre-season training, Hart probably won’t miss that aspect but when the competitive action gets underway there might just be a phone call or offer that gives him something to ponder over.
CLICK HERE for Hart’s Instagram story.
He maybe thinks he’ll get a start in coaching easier if he’s still able to be player/coach or player/manager.
Another possibility is that he just “retired” because Celtic didn’t offer an acceptable contract extension so rather than being “freed” he’d rather do it on his terms and “retire” instead, after all, you can always make a ‘comeback’…. who knows, maybe he’ll “come out of retirement” for a last hurrah back at Shrewsbury or something?
‘Mon Joe – Have a change of ‘Hart’ – One more season !
I’d just LOVE to see the Big Mhan back at CP in some capacity but we NEED to bring in a top-class ‘keeper regardless. If that’s not our 1st priority then those that arrange these things need to have their heads swifty removed from their arses. But Big Joe as 2nd choice ‘keeper with coaching our other ‘keepers (whoever they may be?) and generally keeping smiles on faces would be a great asset to have around CP.
Joe, Joe, Super Joe………