Joe Hart had two outstanding saves in quick succession and Celtic Park roared them both as if a goal had been scored down the other end.
That was a year ago today. The home game against FK Jablonec where supporters realised the club’s goalkeeping nightmare was over and Ange Postecoglou had solved one of the team’s biggest problems. What has happened in the subsequent 12 months has merely strengthened that feeling.
Pound for pound, Hart has to be right up there with the likes of Jota in terms of being the best acquisition of the Aussie’s reign. The Portuguese got every headline last weekend after his performance against Ross County where his wizardry set up all three goals. Quite right, Jota was brilliant. But, in the background, Hart made a contribution every bit as vital which went, for the most part, under the radar. His save from a vicious County free-kick late in the game with the scores locked at 1-1 are pivotal in a season.
Would Celtic have recovered from 2-1 down with 15 minutes to go? Given they had dominated the game, maybe.
But, as goals can change games, then maybe not. Points could have been shipped. But Hart made sure that didn’t happen and underlined his value yet again. It was Moritz Jenz who gave that free-kick away. Just a few minutes after losing his man for the equaliser.
By full-time, the German was getting plaudits and pats on the back for scoring a crucial header down the other end to make it 2-1. Yet if Hart doesn’t make that reflex save, Jenz is having fingers pointed squarely at him for giving away both goals in a possible loss and all the talk is of a nightmare debut.
Instead of sloping out of Dingwall distraught, the big defender bounced out full of joy and confidence savouring his big scoring moment. No one is valued more within a dressing room than a colleague who helps out others and can also win you games.
Standing in the tunnel and seeing guys like that in your line-up puffs your chest out. Makes you believe you are going to get results before a game even kicks off. I look at Hart and I see a guy as one of the ones who does that for Postecoglou’s team. Has the younger ones looking at his ability, his authority and his presence and feeling safe.
Hart has been absolutely magnificent since he moved to Glasgow and the way he has thrown himself into it has been the stand-out marker. Everyone knows the back story from before he signed. At one stage he was Burnley’s third choice and his career was petering out.
Hart had achieved plenty. Title wins, had been England’s No.1. He could easily have just stayed in his comfort zone. Taken big wages for being a back-up keeper in the Premier League and played the odd League Cup game here and there. It says much for his career and his desire he was willing to take the plunge and go into a Celtic set-up which, at the time, may have been viewed by some as a risky proposition. Celtic didn’t need just a competent keeper. They needed someone with character to step into a difficult situation and handle it because they were also bedding-in an entire new defence.
It was going to make mistakes and it was going to need someone who could keep them cool, keep them organised and keep lifting their confidence. Hart has done all of that and then some. He is a massive presence on the park and he seems to be a massive presence in the dressing room, too. For all the things he did during games last season, and there were plenty of pivotal and game-clinching moments, it was some of the stuff I saw him do away from the action which really struck a chord.
The way he talks about Celtic and the way he believes in the manager and maintains that hunger and desire to improve through every training session. Hart has been able to modify his game to learn new skills in terms of positioning and ball of his feet.
He’s always on to team-mates. Sometimes barking instructions, such as the time against Ferencvaros in Budapest when he gave Josip Juranovic an earful for slackness. Mostly encouraging as you saw when he basically hauled Anthony Ralston to his feet to congratulate him for a goal-saving block at Tannadice on the night the title was won.
Things that might appear like nothing are important. When Liel Abada didn’t feel confident enough to do a TV interview due to not having properly grasped the new language, Hart did it for him while making sure he gave the messages Abada wanted.
That’s not just being a good team-mate. That’s like acting as a big brother. Postecoglou wants characters. Men who will stand up when the chips are down and stay true to the club’s beliefs and his demands.
I’m not in the dressing room, but from what I can tell, Hart has been absolutely vital to the success of the team as he’s a leader in there and he will go back into the Champions League group stage this season as one of the club’s most influential figures.
Will he get to Qatar? Chances are no, even if he shines in Europe. Jordan Pickford is doing well and has never let Gareth Southgate down, while Aaron Ramsdale is also performing well at Arsenal. The No.3 slot might be up for grabs come November and there could be injuries and you wouldn’t put it past Hart shining in the Champions League and stating a World Cup case.
In truth, I’d imagine that’ll be down his priority list.
Maintaining a big influence at Celtic and performing with distinction will be his only target.
If Hart’s first year at the club tells us anything, it’s that he’s going to do it.
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